Researchers and fans of Brazilian cordéis now have another option to obtain information about this popular genre of Brazilian culture online. The Library of Congress of the USA, through its office in Rio de Janeiro, has made a digital collection available on the subject – the Brazil Cordel Literature Web Archive. Visit the collection at www.loc.gov.
There are over 12,000 pieces, including the famous Sol Biderman collection and some cordéis dating back to the 1930s. To capture the work of repentistas (improvisational singers), the Office has also acquired CDs and DVDs, as well as other cordel titles. Some of them are already available on the Office’s website: www.loc.gov/acq/ovop/rio/rio-cordel.html.
The Library of Congress office in Rio de Janeiro is one of six overseas offices managed by the Library of Congress’s Overseas Operations Division. Its collection includes publications and artworks from Brazil, Uruguay, Suriname, Guyana, and French Guiana. The goal is to enrich the research collections of the Library of Congress with the best bibliographic production from these countries.