Biographical dictionaries and literary encyclopedias are useful starting places for literary research.  They can provide overviews of the careers and criticism of important authors,  definitions of literary concepts, movements and themes, and useful suggestions for further research. 

Oxford Companion to Spanish Literature
REF PQ6006 .O95 (at the Fenwick reference desk)
Good point of departure for short entries on authors, literary movements and themes and individual works in Spanish and Latin American literature. Most useful for its listings of key collections, translations and critical works.

Encyclopedia of Latin American Literature
REF PQ7081.A1 E56 2000
This one-volume work contains articles on writers, works, topics along with survey articles on the literatures of individual countries. Lists of works following each article include biographies, selected works, editions, further reading, some interviews and bibliographies.

Modern Latin American Literature
REF PQ7081.F6 M6
A compilation of international critical commentary, "presenting twentieth-century Latin American writers through the eyes of leading critics in their own countries and abroad, with particular stress on their reception in the United States." The core list includes 137 writers and selections from commentaries are from books on individual authors or books dealing with themes of several writers, literary histories, encyclopedias, academic periodicals, literary reviews and book reviews.

Handbook of Latin American Literature
REF PQ7081.A1 H36 1987
General works followed by chapters on the literatures of various countries: long survey articles with bibliographies appended to each article.

Latin American Writers
REF PQ7081.A1 L37 1989
Introductions to Spanish American and Brazilian literature are followed by a chronological table of literary and political events from 1415-1987. Entries contain brief biographical information, a description of the writer's production and bibliography.

A Sourcebook for Hispanic Literature and Language: Annotated Guide to Spanish and Spanish American Bibliography, Literature, Journals, and Other Source Materials
PC4071 .B64 1995
Covers all types of material on the literature of Spain and South America. Includes a section on important reference works and a list of selected publishers and book dealers. Although not useful for the most current material, this is a well-annotated bibliography, with a detailed index.

Manual of Hispanic Bibliography
Z2691.A1 F6
A well-annotated bibliography of bibliographies and guides to the literature of Spain and Spanish America. Arranged by subject.

An Introduction to Spanish-American Literature
PQ7081 .F64 1994
A student's guide to Spanish American literature from colonial times to 1969. In chronological order, with historical background and a summary of the literary movements of the period. Includes a list of suggested readings and an index of authors.

Manual bibliográfico de estudios españoles
REF DP17 .G66x
A bibliographic guide to the study of all aspects of Spanish culture. Arranged by subject area, then by subheadings.

Latin America and the Caribbean: a Critical Guide to Research Sources
REF F1408 .L38 1992
This is a recent one-volume source for finding materials relevant to a specialty in Latin American Studies. Entries consist of essays by specialists followed by annotated bibliographies. Includes useful categories such as "Women's Studies," "Performing Arts," and "Databases."

A Bibliographical Guide to Spanish American Literature: 20th Century Sources
REF PQ7081 .R46
A complete guide to bibliographies, dictionaries, history, criticism, and anthologies published in the twentieth century. Each subject is divided by country and genre. Includes an author index.

Spain: A Companion to Spanish Studies
DP66 .R8S6
A chronological guide to history, literature, the visual arts and music. Each section includes a summary of the themes, trends, principal works of each period and an annotated bibliography by genre. Some Latin American authors are included.

Spanish and Spanish American Literature: An Annotated Guide to Selected Bibliographies
REF PQ6033 .W66 1983
A selective, classified, annotated guide to bibliographies on Spanish and Spanish American literature published since 1950. Spanish material is arranged by genre and time period. Spanish American material is arranged by country.

Historia de la literatura española
REF PQ6032 .A6
A detailed critical history with lengthy bibliographical footnotes and an author and title index in each volume. Each volume covers a different time period from the Middle Ages through Romanticism.

A History of Spanish Literature
PQ6032 .D4913
An important history of Spanish literature, arranged by period. Each section is written by a specialist in the field and includes an extensive bibliography. Includes Arabic, Catalan, Hebrew, and Latin literature of Spain and the literature of Spanish America and the Philippines.

Historia de la literatura española
PQ6032 .V3
An important scholarly history, includes bibliographical references and author and title indexes.

Spanish American Literature: A History
PQ7081 .A56342
Two volumes in chronological order, 1492-1966. Now somewhat dated but still a good source. Gives historical framework, cultural and literary tendencies. Divided by genre and by author.

Dictionary of the Literature of the Iberian Peninsula  
REF PN 849. S6 D54 1993

An Encyclopedia of Continental Women Writers
REF PN 481.E5 1991

Encyclopedia of Latin American Literature
REF PQ 7081 A1 E56 2000

Hispanic Writers: A Selection of Sketches from Contemporary Authors
REFPQ 7081.3 H58 1991

Spanish Women Writers: A Bio-Bibliographical Source Book
REF PQ 6055 S63 1993