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cite sources How to Cite Electronic Sources use offline copyright print & save view & listen link & bookmark search

 

Great variation exists among accepted styles, and different disciplines rely on different style guidelines. It is not possible to give one example of documentation for the digitized materials available on the Library of Congress Web site. The examples below use style guidelines that are commonly used in history and language arts disciplines.

Copyright refers to the author's (artist, composer, director, illustrator, performer, photographer, producer, or writer,) exclusive right to reproduce, prepare derivative works, distribute copies, and publicly perform and display his or her works. More about copyright...

Materials available on the Library of Congress Web site include: cartoons, films, legal documents, maps, newspapers, photographs and drawings, sound recordings, special presentations, and texts. Representative selections from the digitized historical collections are used to illustrate the citation examples that follow.

This guide is intended to help users prepare citations for electronic resources from the Library of Congress Web site.  The purpose of a works cited document is to acknowledge the source of information and give as much detail as possible to find the source of that information at a later date.  Consistency and the intended audience are the guiding principles to the following suggestions. 

When you search the American Memory collections, the resulting pages have temporary URLs. For information on finding the permanent URL, see How to Link & Bookmark in American Memory.

Entire Website | Cartoon | Films | Legal | Maps | Newspaper | Photographs | Sound Recordings
Special Presentations | Texts

Entire Website

The Library of Congress Web site

The homepage of the Library of Congress connects users to Web sites created by staff members of the Library's many divisions. The sites are often posted without a clear indication of author, title, publisher or copyright date. In this case, list the "Library of Congress" as the author. Look for available clues and give as much information as possible, including the URL and date accessed.

MLA Citation Format
(MLA Handbook, 6th ed., section 5.9.2)

Structure:

  1. Title of the site (underlined or italicized).
  2. Editor first name middle initial last name (if given).
  3. Any electronic publication information available, including version number, date of electronic   publication (original posting) or latest update. 
  4. Name of sponsoring institution or organization.
  5. Date of individual access and electronic address.

Title of Site. First name Middle name Last name.  Electronic publication information.  Sponsoring institution or organization.  Day Month Year of access <electronic address>.

Example:

Library of Congress.  U.S. Govt.  31 July 2005 <http://www.loc.gov/>.

Chicago Citation Format:
(Chicago Manual of Style, 15th ed., sections 17.270, 17.237)

Structure:

  1. Author last name, first name, middle initial, if given.  If no author, use the site owner.
  2. Title of Site (italicized); a subsection of a larger work is in quotes.
  3. Editor of site, if given.
  4. Publication information, including latest update if available.
  5. Name of sponsoring institution or organization.
  6. Electronic address or URL.
  7. Date of access, in parenthesis.

Last name, First name Middle initial.  Title of Site.  City: Publishing Company, copyright date.  Sponsoring source.  http://…(accessed date).

Example:

Library of Congress.  http://www.loc.gov (accessed January 5, 2006).

Cartoons and Illustrations

Join, or Die
Join or Die

Cartoons and illustrations included in newspapers, magazines or other periodicals often represent the historical perspectives and opinions of the time of publication.  This Prints And Photographs Online Catalog illustration, Join or Die from the May 9, 1754 Pennsylvania Gazette, was published by Benjamin Franklin and expresses his views about the need for the colonies to join forces to confront their mutual concerns with England.  This is often referred to as the first political cartoon.

MLA-style Citation Format:
(MLA Handbook, 6th ed. Depending on the type of document in which the graphic appears, use appropriate MLA guidelines for (a) newspaper, (b) magazine, (c) book, or (d) other. Structure below is for a graphic appearing in a newspaper.)

Structure:

  1. Creator’s last name, first name middle name or initial.
  2. Title of work (in quotes).
  3. Format (Cartoon or Illustration), neither underlined nor in quotation marks.
  4. Title of document (in italics).
  5. Publishing information:
    • if a magazine or newspaper: date (Day Month Year): page number (if available).
    • if a scholarly journal: volume # (year): page number.
    • if a book: city of publication: shortened name of publisher, date of publication. Page number.
  6. Title of online collection (underlined or italicized).
  7. Editor or compiler of collection (if available).
  8. Date of posting or most recent update (if available).
  9. Name of project or reference database (underlined or italicized).
  10. Name of sponsoring institution.
  11. Date of access and electronic address.

Last name, First name Middle name or initial. "Title of Work." Format. Title of Document. Day Month Year issued: page number. Title of Online Collection. Editor of collection. Day Month Year of posting. Database. Sponsoring institution. Day Month Year of access <electronic address>.

Example:

Franklin, Benjamin. "Join or Die." Illustration. The Pennsylvania Gazette 9 May 1754. Prints and Photographs Online Catalog. 02 Dec. 2005. American Memory. Lib. of Congress. 31 Jan. 2006 <http://memory.loc.gov/pp/pphome.html>.

Chicago Citation Format:
(Chicago Manual of Style, 15th ed., sections 17.270, 8.207)

Structure:

  1. Author’s or creator’s last name, first name, middle initial (if given).
  2. Title of document (in italics); a subsection of a larger work is in quotes and primary document in italics).
  3. Format (cartoon or illustration).
  4. Publisher city: publishing company, copyright date.
  5. Source (From Library of Congress in normal font), Collection name with dates (in italics).
  6. Medium (software requirement needed to access source, ).
  7. URL (use bibliographic record URL or shorter digital id if available at bottom of bib record).
  8. Accessed date (in parenthesis).

Last name, First name Middle initial. Title of Work. Format. City: Publishing Company, copyright date. Source, Collection. Medium, http://…(accessed date).

Example:

Franklin, Benjamin. “Join or Die.” Illustration. The Pennsylvania Gazette, May 9, 1754. From Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Online Catalog. http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cph.3g05315 (accessed January 10, 2006).

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Films

Department Stores in New York, Bargain Day on 14th Street
Department Stores in New York, Bargain Day on 14th Street

Black-and-white actuality film collections from the turn of the century are included in American Memory. This film clip is from an American Mutoscope and Biograph Company film in The Life of a City: Early Films of New York, 1898-1906. The web page provides a three-frame image from the film. For information about viewing this film, see the American Memory Viewer Information page.

MLA-style Citation Format:
(MLA Handbook, 6th ed., sections 5.9.9c and 5.8.3)

Structure:

  1. Film title (underlined or italicized).
  2. Director's first name, middle name or initial, last name (or filmographer's name if no director is specified).
  3. Name of distributor.
  4. Year of release.
  5. Title of online collection (underlined or italicized).
  6. Date of collection's posting or most recent update (if available).
  7. Name of project or reference database (underlined or italicized)
  8. Name of sponsoring institution.
  9. Date of individual access and electronic address.

Optional information--name of writer, photographer, performer(s), producer(s)—should be placed immediately after the director's name.

Title of Work.  First name Middle name or initial Last name.  Name of Distributor.  Year of release.  Title of Online Collection.  Day Month Year of posting.  Database.  Sponsoring institution.  Day Month Year of access <electronic address>.

Example:

Bargain Day, 14th Street, New York. Photog. Frederick S. Armitage. American Mutoscope and Biograph Company. 1905. The Life of a City: Early Films of New York, 1898-1906.  14 Apr. 1999. American Memory. Lib. of Congress. 1 Aug. 2005 <http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/papr:@field(NUMBER+@band(lcmp002+m2a25469))>.

Chicago Citation Format:
(Chicago Manual of Style, 15th ed., sections 17.270, 17.272)

Structure:

  1. Creator’s last name, first name, middle initial (or filmographer’s name if no director is specified, but indicate role).
  2. Title of film (in italics).
  3. Format (film, filmstrip, 35mm film).
  4. Publisher city: publishing company, copyright date.
  5. Source (From Library of Congress in normal font), Collection name with dates (in italics).
  6. Medium (software requirement needed to access source).
  7. URL (use bibliographic record URL or shorter digital id if available at bottom of bib record).
  8. Accessed date (in parenthesis).

Last name, First name Middle initial.  Title of Work.  Format.  City: Publishing Company, copyright date.  Source, Collection.  Medium, http://…(accessed date).

Example:

Armitage, Frederick S., photographer.  Bargain Day, Fourteenth Street, New York.  35 mm film.  United States: American Mutoscope and Biograph Co, 1905.  From Library of Congress, Early Motion Pictures, 1897-1920.  RealMedia, MPEG, Quick Time, http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.mbrsmi/lcmp002.m2a25469 (accessed January 9, 2006).

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Legal Documents and Government Publications

Annals of Congress excerpt

An excerpt from pages 747 & 748 of the Annals of Congress

Many government publications originate through executive departments, federal agencies, and the United States Congress. Many of the documents are chronicled records of government proceedings, which become part of the Congressional Record. These documents are often posted without a clear indication of author, title, publisher or copyright date. In this case, list the “U.S. Government” as the author. Look for available clues and give as much information as possible, including the URL and date accessed.

MLA-Style Citation Format:
(MLA Handbook, 6th ed., sections 5.6.21 and 5.9.3c)

Structure:

  1. Name of government.
  2. Name of agency.
  3. Document title (underlined or italicized).
  4. If applicable, number and session of Congress; type and number of publication.
  5. Title of publication.
  6. Name of editor or compiler of publication (first, middle initial, last)
  7. City of publication: publisher, date of publication
  8. Pertinent page numbers (if available).
  9. Title of online collection (underlined or italicized).
  10. Date of posting or most recent update (if available).
  11. Name of project or reference database (underlined or italicized).
  12. Name of sponsoring institution—e.g., Lib. of Congress.
  13. Date of access and electronic address.

Government name.  Agency.  Title.  Number and session of Congress; type and number of publication.  Title of publication.  Editor or compiler First name Middle initial Last name.  City of publication: Publisher, date of publication.  Page numbers.  Title of Online Collection.  Date of posting.  Database.  Sponsoring institution.  Day Month Year of access <electronic address>.

Example:

United States. Cong. House. Proceedings. 2nd Congress. 2nd sess.  Annals of Congress. Comp. Joseph Gales, Sr. Washington: Gales and Seaton, 1849. 747-48.  A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation, 1774-1873. 01 May 2003. American Memory. Lib. of Congress. 1 Aug. 2005 <http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=llac&fileName=llac003.db&recNum=370>.

Chicago Format:
(Chicago Manual of Style, 15th ed., section 17.270)

Structure:

  1. Author’s last name, first name, middle initial (if given).
  2. Title of document (subsection is placed in quotes, followed by title in italics).
  3. Format (omit if it is a printed page).
  4. Publisher city: publishing company, copyright date (include as much information as possible such as page numbers).
  5. Source (From Library of Congress in normal font), Collection name with dates (in italics).
  6. Medium (software requirement needed to access source).
  7. URL (use bibliographic record URL or shorter digital id if available at bottom of bib record).
  8. Accessed date (in parenthesis).

Last name, First name Middle initial.  Title of Work.  Format.  City: Publishing Company, copyright date.  Source, Collection.  Medium, http://…(accessed date).

Example:

“Proceedings December 17, 1792”.  Annals of Congress.  House of Representatives, 2nd Congress, 2nd Session.  Washington: Gales and Seaton, 1849, pg. 747-748.  From Library of Congress, A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774-1875.  http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=llac&fileName=llac003.db&recNum=370 (accessed January 9, 2006).

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Maps

Liberia Map
Map of the West Coast of Africa from Sierra Leone, 1830

American Memory maps are far more than just maps of cities and towns. They document historical places, events, and populations, as well as growth and changes over time. This map is from American Memory.

Map Collections: 1500-2004

 

MLA-Style Citation Format:
(MLA Handbook, 6th ed., sections 5.8.8 and 5.9.9f)

Structure:
1. Title of map (underlined or italicized). 
2. Descriptive label (e.g., Map, Graph, Photograph).
3. City of publication: Publisher, date of publication (if available).
4. Title of online collection (underlined or italicized).
5. Date of posting or most recent update of collection.
6. Name of project or reference database (underlined or italicized).
7. Name of sponsoring institution.
8. Date of access and electronic address.

Title of map.  Descriptive label.  City of publication: Publisher, date.  Title of Online Collection.  Date of posting.  Database.  Sponsoring institution.  Day Month Year of access <electronic address>.

Example:

Map of the West Coast of Africa from Sierra Leone to Cape Palmas, including the Colony of Liberia.  Map.  Philadelphia: Finley, 1830.  Map Collections 1500-2004.  3 May 2005.  American Memory.  Lib. of Congress.  1 Aug. 2005 <http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.gmd/g8882c.lm000002 >.

Chicago Citation Format:
(Chicago Manual of Style, 15th ed., sections 17.270. 17.141)

Structure:

  1. Author’s last name, first name, middle initial (if given, or person responsible for content).
  2. Title of document (in italics) [shorten to meaningful limits, ].
  3. Format (map, chart).
  4. Publisher city: publishing company, copyright date.
  5. Source (From Library of Congress in normal font), Collection name with dates (in italics).
  6. Medium (software requirement needed to access source).
  7. URL (use bibliographic record URL or shorter digital id if available at bottom of bib record).
  8. Accessed date (in parenthesis).

Last name, First name Middle initial. Title of Work.  Format.  City: Publishing Company, copyright date.  Source, Collection.  Medium, http://…(accessed Date).

Example:

Ashmun, Jehudi.  Map of the West Coast of Africa from Sierra Leone to Cape Palmas, including the
Colony of Liberia.  Map.  Philadelpia: A. Finley, 1830.  From Library of Congress, Map collections: 1500-2004.  http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.gmd/g8882c.lm000002 (accessed January 9, 2006).

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Newspapers

The Illustrated London News
The Illustrated London News

Historic newspapers provide a glimpse into historic time periods.  The articles, as well as the advertising, are an appealing way to get a look at the regions of the country or the world and the issues of the day.  The Illustrated London News’s story on the discovery of gold in California provides such an example from the American Memory collection, Westward by Sea: A Maritime Perspective on American Expansion, 1820-1890 Collection.

MLA-style Citation Format:  
(MLA Handbook, 6th ed., section 5.9.4) 

Structure:

  1. Author's last name, first name, middle name or initial (if given; if no author is given, begin with the title of the article).
  2. Title of Article. (in quotes).
  3. Name of newspaper (in italics) date of issue (with no punctuation between the name of newspaper and date of issue).
  4. Title of online collection (underlined or italicized).
  5. Editor or compiler of collection (if available).
  6. Date of posting or most recent update (if available).
  7. Name of project or reference database  (underlined or italicized).
  8. Name of sponsoring institution.
  9. Date of access and electronic address.

Last name, First name Middle name or initial.  "Title of article."  Name of Newspaper Day Month Year of issue.  Title of Online Collection.  Ed. of collection.  Day Month Year of posting.  Database.  Sponsoring institution.  Day Month Year of access <electronic address>.

Example:

"The Gold Seekers of California."  The Illustrated London News 10 Feb. 1849.  Westward by Sea: A Maritime Perspective on American Expansion, 1820-1890. 30 Jan. 2002.  American Memory.  Lib. of Congress  31 Jan. 2006 <http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/award99/mymhihtml/mymhihome.html>.

 Chicago Citation Format:
(Chicago Manual of Style, 15th ed., sections 17.270 and 17.188-203)

Structure:

  1. Author’s last name, first name, middle initial (if given; if no author is given, use title of Newspaper here instead in italics).
  2. Title of article (in quotes); Title of newspaper (if not used above) in italics.
  3. Format (leave blank if printed document).
  4. Publisher city: publishing company, copyright date.
  5. Source (From Library of Congress in normal font), Collection name with dates (in italics).
  6. Medium (software requirement needed to access source ).
  7. URL (use bibliographic record URL or shorter digital id if available at bottom of bib record).
  8. Accessed date (in parenthesis).

Last name, First name Middle initial.  Title of Work.  Format.  City: Publishing Company, copyright date.  Source, Collection.  Medium, http://…(accessed date).

Example:

The Illustrated London News. “The Gold Seekers of California.”  February 10, 1849. From Library of Congress, Westward by Sea: A Maritime Perspective on American Expansion, 1820-1890. http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/mymhiwebib:@field(NUMBER+@band(mymhiwe+iln)) (accessed January 10, 2006).

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Photographs

Battlefield aftermath
Incidents of the War.

Photographs and drawings appear in many of the Library of Congress digitized historical collections. This photograph is from Selected Civil War Photographs, 1861-1865, and shows casualties of war on the battlefield at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

MLA-style Citation Format:
(MLA Handbook, 6th ed., sections 5.8.6 and 5.9.9d)

Structure:

  1. Photographer's last name, first name, middle initial).
  2. Title of photograph (underlined or italicized).
  3. Original date of photograph (if available).
  4. Title of collection (underlined or italicized).
  5. Date of posting or most recent update of collection (if available).
  6. Current location of original document (if available).
  7. Name of project or reference database (underlined or italicized).
  8. Sponsoring organization.
  9. Date of access and electronic address.

Last name, First name Middle initial.  Title of photograph.  Original date of photograph.  Title of Online Collection.  Date of posting.  Current location of original document.  Database.  Sponsoring organization.  Day Month Year of access <electronic address>.

Example:

O'Sullivan, Timothy H.  Incidents of the War.  c1865.  Selected Civil War Photographs from the Library of Congress,  1861-1865.  12 Jan. 2000.  American Memory.  Lib. of Congress.  2 Aug. 2005 <http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/cwar:@field(NUMBER+@band(cwp+4a40875))>.

Chicago Citation Format:
(Chicago Manual of Style, 15th ed., sections 17.270, 8.206)

Structure:

  1. Photographer’s last name, first name, middle initial (if given). [Include role after name, i.e. photographer.]
  2. “Photo Title.” (Title of a song, a poem or a single photograph is in quotes, not italics.) [Include brackets if given in bibliographic record.]
  3. Format (photograph).
  4. Publisher city: publishing company, copyright date (include c [circa] if given; if no date, use n.d.).
  5. Source (From Library of Congress in normal font), Collection name with dates (in italics).
  6. Medium (software requirement needed to access source ).
  7. URL (use bibliographic record URL or shorter digital id if available at bottom of bib record).
  8. Accessed date (in parenthesis).

Last name, First name Middle initial.  Title of Work.  Format.  City: Publishing Company, copyright date.  Source, Collection.  Medium, http://…(accessed date).

Example:

O’Sullivan, Timothy, photographer.  “[Incidents of the war.  A Harvest of Death, Gettysburg, July 1863.]”  Photograph.  Washington, D.C.: Philip & Solomons, c1865.  From Library of Congress: Selected Civil War Photographs, 1861-1865.  http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/cwar:@field(NUMBER+@band(cwp+4a40875)) (accessed January 9, 2006).

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Sound Recordings

mp3Listen to this recording.(mp3 Format...172064 bytes)

ra Listen to this recording.(Real Audio Format)

wavListen to this recording.(wav Format...2520758 bytes...0 minutes 57 seconds)

Audio resources indicate the application needed to listen to the recording (MP3, RealAudio, WAV, etc.).  The recording of Mrs. Ben Scott and Myrtle B. Wilkinson performing Haste to the Wedding is an example of Anglo-American dance music on the fiddle and tenor banjo recorded on October 31, 1939.

MLA-Style Citation Format:
(MLA Handbook, 6th ed., sections 5.8.2 and 5.9.9b)

Structure: note: Whom to cite first—the composer, conductor, or performer—depends on the desired emphasis.

  1. Composer’s last name, first name, middle initial (or conductor, or performer[s]). Second performer is listed first name, middle initial and last name, if given.
  2. Title of recording (underlined or italicized unless identified only by form, number, and key [Symphony No. 1 in C]).
  3. Title of performer if not stated in #1 above.
  4. Date of performance (if available).
  5. Name of medium (Audiocassette, Audiotape, LP) unless recorded on compact disc.
  6. Title of manufacturer or recording company, year of issue  (if unknown, write n.d. [no date]).
  7. Title of online collection (underlined or italicized) .
  8. Editor or compiler of collection (if available).
  9. Date of posting or most recent update of collection (if available).
  10. Name of project or reference database (underlined or italicized).
  11. Name of sponsoring organization. 
  12. Date of access and electronic address.

Last name, First name Middle initial.  Title of recording.  Title of performer.  Date of performance.  Name of medium.  Title of manufacturer or recording company, year of issue.  Title of Online Collection.  Editor or compiler of collection.  Date of posting.  Database.  Sponsoring organization.  Day Month Year of access <electronic address>.

Example:

Scott, Mrs. Ben, and Myrtle B. Wilkinson.  Haste to the Wedding.  31 Oct. 1939.  78 rpm.  Sydney Robertson Cowell, n.d.  California Gold: Northern California Folk Music from the Thirties.  19 Oct. 1998.  American Memory.  Lib. of Congress.  01 Aug. 2005 <http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/ftvbib,berl,cwband,coolbib,papr,cmns,flwpabib,
afcreed,cowellbib,toddbib,lomaxbib,raelbib,afcwip,omhbib,afcpearl,pin,qlt,ncr,afc911bib,afcesnbib,varstg,nfor,
:@field(NUMBER+@band(afccc+a4227b4))>. 

Chicago Citation Format:
(Chicago Manual of Style, 15th ed., sections  17.270, 8.205)

Structure:

  1. Author’s last name, first name, middle initial (if given) [include performer, composer, etc.].
  2. Title of album (in italics) (Title of a song, a poem or a single photograph is in quotes, not italics).
  3. Format (sound recording).
  4. Publisher city: publishing company, copyright date.
  5. Source (From Library of Congress in normal font), Collection name with dates (in italics).
  6. Medium (software requirement needed to access source, i.e. MP3, RealAudio, WAV).
  7. URL (use bibliographic record URL).
  8. Accessed date (in parenthesis).

Last name, First name Middle initial.  Title of Work.  Format.  City: Publishing Company, copyright date.  Source, Collection.  Medium, http://…(accessed date).

Example:

Scott, Mrs. Ben and Myrtle B. Wilkinson, performers.  “Haste to the Wedding.”  Sound recording.  Turlock, CA: Sidney Robertson Cowell, October 31, 1939.  From Library of Congress, California Gold: Northern California Folk Music from the Thirties.  Real Audio, MP3, Wave. http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/ftvbib,berl,cwband,coolbib,
papr,cmns,flwpabib,afcreed,cowellbib,toddbib,lomaxbib,raelbib,afcwip,omhbib,afcpearl,pin,qlt,ncr,afc911bib,
afcesnbib,varstg,nfor:@field(NUMBER+@band(afccc+a4227b4)) (accessed January 9, 2006).

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Special Presentations

The Wilbur and Orville Wright Timeline
The Wilbur and Orville Wright Timeline

Special presentations and features include examples that illustrate collection themes. Many collections include specific items, such as timelines, family trees or scholarly essays, which are not primary source documents. Such content has been created to enhance understanding of the collection.

This timeline of the Wright Brothers can be found in The Wilbur and Orville Wright  Papers at the Library of Congress.

MLA-Style Citation Format:  
(MLA Handbook, 6th ed., section 5.9.9) 

Structure:

  1. Title of Special Presentation.
  2. Descriptive label (e.g., graph, map, illustration, poster, special presentation).
  3. Publication information, if known.
  4. Title of online collection (underlined or italicized).
  5. Date of online posting or most recent update.
  6. Name of project or reference database (underlined or italicized).
  7. Name of sponsoring institution.
  8. Date of access and electronic address.

Title of Presentation.  Format.  City: Publisher, date.  Title of Online Collection.  Day Month Year of posting.  Database. Sponsoring institution.  Day Month Year of access <electronic address>.

Example:

The Wilbur and Orville Wright Timeline, 1867-1948. Special presentation. The Wilbur and Orville Wright Papers 03 Dec. 2003. American Memory. Lib. of Congress. 31 Jan. 2006 < http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/wrighthtml/wrighttime.html>.

Chicago Citation Format:
(Chicago Manual of Style, 15th ed., section 17.270)

Structure:

  1. Author’s last name, first name, middle initial (if given).
  2. Title of document (in italics).
  3. Format (special presentation).
  4. Publisher city: publishing company, copyright date (if given).
  5. Source (From Library of Congress in normal font), Collection name with dates (in italics).
  6. Medium (software requirement needed to access source, ).
  7. URL (use bibliographic record URL or shorter digital id if available at bottom of bib record).
  8. Accessed date (in parenthesis).

Last name, First name Middle initial.  Title of Work.  Format.  City: Publishing Company, copyright date.  Source, Collection.  Medium, http://…(accessed date).

Example:

The Wilbur and Orville Wright Timeline, 1867-1948.  Special presentation.  From the Library of Congress, The Wilbur and Orville Wright Papers.  http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/wrighthtml/wrighttime.html (accessed January 10, 2006).

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Texts

Helen Keller to John Hitz, August 29, 1893.
Helen Keller to John Hitz, August 29, 1893.

The American Memory collections include letters, pamphlets, documents, recollections, and other written material.  Many of these items are hand written and can be difficult to read.  Transcriptions may be available.  One such example is this letter from Helen Keller to Mr. John Hitz from the collection, The Alexander Graham Bell Family Papers, 1862-1939. Helen describes her trip to Chicago to visit the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893.

MLA-Style Citation Format:
(MLA Handbook, 6th ed., sections 5.8.12 ["A Manuscript or Typescript"], 5.8.13 ["A Letter or Memo"], and 5.9.9 ["Other Electronic Sources"]).

Structure:

  1. Author's last name, first name, middle name or initial.
  2. For published material, place title or descriptor in quotation marks; for archived material, use neither italics nor quotation marks.
  3. Date of the manuscript (if available).
  4. Form of the material (manuscript).
  5. Publication information (if available).
  6. Title of collection (underlined or italicized).
  7. Date of posting or most recent update.
  8. Name of project or reference database (underlined or italicized).
  9. Sponsoring institution.
  10. Date of access and electronic address. 

Last name, First name Middle name or initial.  Title or Descriptor of Material.  Day Month Year created, form of material.  City: Publisher, date.  Title of Online Collection.  Date of posting.  Database.  Sponsoring institution.  Day Month Year of access <electronic address>.

Example:

Keller, Helen.  Letter to John Hitz  29 Aug.  1893, manuscript.  The Alexander Graham Bell Family Papers, 1862-1939.  29 Sep. 2000.  American Memory.  Lib. of Congress.  31 Jan. 2006http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=magbell&fileName=215/21500147/bellpage.db&recNum=0

  
Chicago Citation Format:
(Chicago Manual of Style, 15th ed., sections 17.270, 17.76)

Structure:

  1. Author’s last name, first name, middle initial.
  2. Title of document (in italics).
  3. Format (letter, manuscript, pamphlet…).
  4. Publisher city: publishing company, copyright date. (if given).
  5. Source (From Library of Congress in normal font), Collection name with dates (in italics).
  6. Medium (software requirement needed to access source, ).
  7. URL (use bibliographic record URL or shorter digital id if available at bottom of bib record).
  8. Accessed date (in parenthesis).

Last name, First name Middle initial.  Title of Work.  Format.  City: Publishing Company, copyright date.  Source, Collection.  Medium, http://…(accessed date).

Example:

Keller, Helen.  Helen Keller to John Hitz, August 29, 1893.  Letter.  From Library of Congress, The Alexander Graham Bell Family Papers, 1862-1939.  http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=magbell&fileName=215/21500147/bellpage.db&recNum=0 (accessed January 11, 2006).

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Citation Guidelines

Many guides are available on the Web. A thorough list of web sites and textbooks has been compiled by the Internet Public Library at the University of Michigan.
http://www.ipl.org/div/farq/netciteFARQ.html

Other sites include:

Adventures of Cyberbee: Citing Electronic Resources, by Linda C. Joseph
http://www.cyberbee.com/citing.html

APA Electronic References Guidelines: American Psychological Association’s style guide for on-line resources. http://www.apastyle.org/elecmedia.html

Cal-Berkeley's website: Includes a short discussion of plagiarism and the importance of correctly citing sources. Style sheets for citing resources (print and electronic): examples and general rules for MLA, APA, & Chicago & Turabian styles.

Chicago Manual of Style: Published by the University of Chicago Press http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/about.html http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Style.html

Citation Machine: Generate standard MLA and APA citations, by David Warlick, Landmark Project.
http://citationmachine.net/

MLA Style Guides: Modern Language Association’s style guides. http://www.mla.org/style

NoodleTools/NoodleBib: Generate, edit, and publish MLA and APA-style source lists, by Debbie Abilock.
http://www.NoodleTools.com

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Last updated 08/08/2006