2022 Lozano Long Conference, February 24–25
IN HONOR OF the centennial of the Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection, the 2022 Lozano Long Conference initiates a conversation on archives with Latin American perspectives and practices. Archives, broadly speaking, are sites where the collection, organization, and processing of documents and objects have preserved memories of diverse pasts—or worked to silence them. Archives also serve as repositories of knowledge and spaces of interpretation where we can uncover and reshape past and present power relations.
The Benson Latin American Collection at The University of Texas at Austin offers a unique archival vantage point to study the colonial, republican, and modern histories of Latin America and the Caribbean. From that platform, this interdisciplinary conference will explore evolving practices, philosophies, and politics of archival work; identify ways to improve access to cultural heritage; and foment community engagement and empowerment. It brings together leading and up-and-coming scholars, archivists, social activists, and digital humanities practitioners. In assembling this diverse group, the organizers seek to strengthen archival networks while also activating dialogues between and among U.S., Iberian, and Latin American academic communities working on and with archival materials.
While significant scholarly work has engaged in the “archival turn,” and pioneering scholarship has considered the role of archives for the North Atlantic world, relatively less consideration has been given to the early-modern Iberian Atlantic and subsequent Latin American and Caribbean worlds. This, despite the fact that Latin American archives have historically played critical roles in state-building processes, enabling academic research, safeguarding national memory creation, empowering communities, or even contributing to post-conflict reconciliation efforts. Furthermore, recent developments in digital humanities related to Latin America and the Caribbean are expanding and reformulating archival practices of display, outreach, and collaboration in ways that seek to democratize access. In short, centering the conference on Latin America allows for a rethinking of archival practices and their ethical and political implications on a global scale.
Conference organizers: Lina Del Castillo, Associate Professor, History and Latin American Studies; Rafael Nieto-Bello, PhD student, Department of History; Camila Ordorica-Bracamontes, PhD student, Department of History
The Benson at 100: Podcast Celebrates the Library’s Centennial
IN CELEBRATION OF the Benson centennial, Head of Collection Development Daniel Arbino and LLILAS Benson Associate Director Pilar Zazueta, a historian, have collaborated on a bilingual podcast series that highlights the collection. The inaugural episodes, “Nettie Lee Benson-ology” and “Entrevista con Mauricio Tenorio,” are followed by sets of identical episodes in English and Spanish. Look for The Benson at 100 or La Biblioteca Benson: Los primeros 100 años on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or benson100.org.
Empower the Benson with Your Gift
YOUR SUPPORT of the Benson Latin American Collection can play a transformative role in our second century. Contact Hannah Roberts at h.roberts@austin.utexas.edu or visit benson100.org to learn how you can contribute to the Benson Centennial Endowment.