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Are you considering purchasing materials for a Spanish collection?  If you have not purchased Spanish-language books or media, you should carefully consider what titles you need to order, what format you need them in and finally where to order. 

A few words of caution on ordering books - do your Spanish speakers actually read in Spanish?  Many Spanish speakers in the AALS region enjoy audios and DVDs in Spanish, but many do not read in Spanish except for the ever-popular telenovelas and photonovelas.  Make sure you know your audience and their needs before you begin purchasing.  Another word of caution – Spanish is a widely spoken language with many regional dialects.  Make sure that you are purchasing materials for Spanish-speaking patrons who are generally from Texas, Mexico or Central America.  Additionally, be aware that most publishers offer books in “home” editions that may not be suitable for multiple uses that libraries need.   

If you are trying to determine titles and availability, there is a Books in Print in Spanish.  It is located here.

Another great source for the Spanish-language publishing industry is Criticas magazine .  Criticas is a companion periodical to Library Journal.    The Web site has a significant amount of resources, reviews and articles on reaching Spanish-speakers.  This is highly recommended.

It is easier to purchase from U.S. companies than those located in Latin America if you are a novice in Spanish-language acquisitions.  Most publishers in Mexico or Latin America deal with credit cards and cash only; purchase orders are not universally accepted there. 

For a complete list of contact information of Spanish-language vendors, view http://www.criticasmagazine.com/article/CA200084.html

Major Vendors:
Baker & Taylor 
Brodart Books Division 
Ingram Library Services
Lectorum Publications 
Amazon.com
Barnes & Noble

Additional Vendors:
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Chulainn Publishing Corp. 
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Spanish Book Distributor

Spanish Films, Videos and DVDs
 Midwest Tapes
 Spanish Multimedia 

Spanish-language Audio
Recorded Books
Spanish Book-World
Spanish Audios

You may also want to consider going to a book fair and purchasing directly from the publishers in Mexico.  Two fairs are widely known and are excellent places to review, purchase and ship your materials back to your library.  The Monterrey Book Fair is held each October in Monterrey  and the Guadalajara Book Fair is held in late November through early December.  Check with TLA and ALA about travel stipends to these fairs.  (The Guadalajara Web site contains more English and is easier to navigate if you do not read in Spanish.)  If you cannot attend the fairs, you can still find publisher/vendor information on these sites as well as titles that are sold at the fair.