Administrative Information
Acquisition Information
The papers of Oscar Hijuelos were purchased by the Library of Congress in 2023.
Processing History
The papers of Oscar Hijuelos were arranged and described by Rachel McNellis in 2023. The writings in the collection came to the Library minimally organized. Many drafts and fragments were divided or not identified with the title of a completed work. Efforts were made to reconstruct drafts and associate fragments with a specific title based on dates, thematic headings, plot lines, and character names. Some manuscripts also were marked extensively with annotated sticky notes. To allow for appropriate housing, the notes were copied in situ and removed, and the photocopied page was filed with the original. The correspondence is arranged by type as received. Loose clippings, fan mail, correspondence, and photographs have been removed from the scrapbook and housed separately.
Digital files were received as part of the Oscar Hijuelos Papers on a variety of storage media, each of which was assigned a unique digital ID number. Use the digital ID number to request access copies of the files associated with each media. A description of the standard processes taken on all born digital records can be found in the Processing History Note: Born Digital Collection Material at https://hdl.loc.gov/loc.mss/eadmss.digital.
Transfers
Audiocassettes and videocassettes have been transferred, respectively, to the Recorded Sound Section and Moving Image Section of the National Audio-Visual Conservation Center where they are identified as part of the Oscar Hijuelos Papers. Transferred items pertain primarily to stage and film adaptations of Hijuelos’s novel The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love and his speaking engagements. Patrons are encouraged to contact the National Audio-Visual Conservation Center in advance of a research visit.
Other Repositories
Other papers of Oscar Hijuelos can be found in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Columbia University, New York, N.Y.
Technical Requirements
Digital files consist of audio files (.wav) and video files (.vob) and can be opened in media player software.
Preferred Citation
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: Container or digital ID number, Oscar Hijuelos Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.