The Central American Portal connects users with curated and annotated free online resources about and from Central America, supporting the study and research of the region. From national and regional repositories and databases to digital archives, statistics, media, and more, the Portal offers a single access point to a wealth of reliable information, countering the fragmented and scattered information landscape that often characterizes online research on Central America.
The Central American Portal is organized into seven key thematic areas for studying the region: History, Politics and Democracy, Human Rights, Migrations and Diasporas, Ecology and Environment, Culture, and Journalism. Separate sections are dedicated to repositories and statistical sources. Each thematic area includes a description of the available resource types and formats.
The Portal aims to enhance the visibility and improve the discoverability of information resources about and from Central America. It is created for a broad audience, from students and researchers to civil society actors and practitioners working in/on the region who may face challenges when seeking reliable information about Central America.
The Portal was created to address the long-standing need for broader access to diverse sources of information about and from Central America, a need increased by the current deterioration of democracy in the region, which severely impacts information and knowledge production, distribution, and access. Enhancing the visibility of and access to free online resources is a way to promote more equitable access to information while inviting users to engage with quality existing free resources without paywalls and cost barriers.
The Latin American Library (LAL) at Tulane University is ideally suited for this project. Tulane has been a leading source of information on Central America for decades. This portal builds upon that expertise and expects to serve the research needs of the Tulane community while also connecting with Central American societies and diasporas worldwide, broadening access to and awareness of existing information resources.
In short, The Central American Portal offers a single access point for free online resources about and from Central America, building on Tulane’s longstanding commitment to Central America and the Latin American Library’s expertise in the field. It supports online research on Central America from a broad academic and non-academic perspective. For questions or comments, please write to Juan Pablo Gómez (jgomez10@tulane.edu), Research & Instruction Librarian at The Latin American Library (LAL).
