Reference Sources

Encyclopedias, dictionaries, and handbooks are handy for getting a quick general overview of a specific topic. You can try searching in HOLLIS for your Subject plus the words encyclopedias OR dictionaries OR handbooks. 

For example Mexico AND History AND (encyclopedias or dictionaries)

Also try your topic combined with the Title keyword Companion in HOLLIS+ Advanced search

Borges (Keyword or Subject)
AND
Companion (Title keyword)

To find individual encyclopedia articles in HOLLIS, using HOLLIS Everything, do a keyword search on your topic and in the results list look for Resource Type under Refine Your Results in the right-hand column. Choose Reference entries.

Oxford research encyclopedias. Latin American history include informative essays on various topics, plus bibliographies of primary and secondary sources. 

Encyclopedia of diasporas : immigrant and refugee cultures around the world

Encyclopedia of Latin America

Cambridge Histories Online cover 14 subject areas including General History, Regional History, Literary Studies, Philosophy and Religion

The Cambridge history of Latin America, ed. by Leslie Bethell. Cambridge; NY: Cambridge University Press, 1984-2008. 11 v. in 12.
Andover-Harv. Theol | Ref. | F1410 .C1834 1984
Lamont | Reserves | F1410 .C1834 1984
Lamont | F1410 .C1834 1984
Widener | WID-LC | F1410 .C1834x 1984
Online version

Historical dictionary of Mexico, by Marvin Alisky. 2nd ed. Lanham, Md. : Scarecrow Press, 2008, 708 p.
HOLLIS Record

Volumes on other countries can be found by searching in HOLLIS and in Internet Archive "Historical dictionary of" and country name.