MLA Citations for Archival Material
Citing Grey Literature with MLA
For more information on MLA citations, you can refer to the MLA Style Center. Below are examples and descriptions of MLA guidelines for specific archival materials.
We are here to help! If you have any questions about specific collections or documents, please reach out to archives@uwstout.edu.
In-Text Citation Basic Format
(Author)
If there is not an author, use the title or a description of the material being cited.
Works Cited Basic Format
Author Last Name, First Name Middle Name or Initial. Title or description of material. Day month year. Collection Name. Collection identifier, Box number, Folder number. Name of repository, Location of repository. URL if applicable.
Example #1
Commencement Programs
This is an example of citing a digitized print record in an online, open access repository. The commencement program is a physical document in the archives. There is a different citation for the physical commencement program. This example is specifically for citing the digitized, openly accessible version of the commencement program.
Works Cited
Stout State University. Commencement Stout State University. 4 June 1966. Commencement Programs. UW-Stout Archives, Menomonie, WI. https://uwstout.access.preservica.com/uncategorized/IO_5135d849-9ed7-41ce-89b7-63db565ed7f6/
In-Text Citation
(Stout State University)
Example #2
Stoutonia Article
This is an example of citing newspapers and publications in Stout Digital Collections. For this type of record, the newspaper MLA citation format is recommended.
Author Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article: Subtitle." Name of Newspaper [city of newspaper if not described in name], Day Month Year of Publication, p. Page number. Name of Database, URL.
Works Cited
Manke, Jason. "Blue Devils struggle against Eagles." Stoutonia [Menomonie], 20 October 1994, p. 13. Internet Archive, https://archive.org/details/StoutoniaVolume85/page/n99/mode/2up
In-Text Citation
(Manke)
Example #3
Image
Below is a citation for an image from Stout Digital Collections. Some images will have titles. If there is not a title, you will need to create a description for the image yourself representing what you see in the image.
Works Cited
Welding. 1936. History of the University of Wisconsin-Stout Collection. y-63. UW-Stout Archives, Menomonie, WI. https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/ACQKJELLQQG7IU9C
In-Text Citation
(Welding)
Example #4
Physical Records from the Archives
Below is a citation for the following physical record located within Stout Series 293, Dwight Agnew Personal Papers. It is a brochure and is currently only located in the Archives, not in an online repository. For information on this collection and this record, a guide to the collection is located online: https://minds.wisconsin.edu/handle/1793/82194
Works Cited
The Menomonie Woman's Club. Mabel Tainter Memorial. Date unknown. Dwight Agnew Personal Papers, 1948-1972. Stout Series 293, Box 2, Folder 4. UW-Stout Archives, Menomonie, WI.
In-Text Citation
(The Menomonie Woman's Club)
