Creating Your Works Cited

Before starting your Works Cited, always remember to:

Indent the first line 5 spaces
Reverse the author’s name (last name first)
Alphabetize your bibliography by the author’s last name
If there is no author, alphabetize by the title of the work
If there is more than one author, reverse the first author’s last name and write the others as you normally would (first name first). Use the first author’s name to alphabetize.

Citing a Book:
Author (last name first). Title of Book. Place of Publication: Publisher, date.

EX: Isaacs, Sally. Life on the Oregon Trail. Chicago, IL: Heinemann, 2001.

Citing a Book with Two Authors:
Authors. Title of Book. Place of Publication: Publisher, date.

EX: Holm, Jennifer & Matt Holm. Babymouse: Rock Star! New York, NY: Random House, 2006.

Citing a Book with NO Author:
Title. Place of Publication: Publisher, date.
(Remember, if you don’t have an author, alphabetize by the title)

EX: New York Public Library Student’s Desk Reference. New York: Prentice Hall, 2000.

Citing an Encyclopedia Article:
Author. “Title of Article.” Name of Encyclopedia. Place of Publication: Publisher, date.

EX: Deliyannis, Deborah. “Middle Ages.” World Book. Chicago, Il: World Book, Inc., 2006.

Citing a Newspaper Article:
Author. “Title of the Article.” Name of the Newspaper. Date: Page.

EX: Nueman, William. “The Morning Rush is Slowed by Cracked Subway Rail.” The New York Times. 9 February 2007: E6.

Citing a Magazine Article:
Author. “Title of Article.” Name of Magazine. Date: page.

EX: Lambeth, Ellen. “Little Orphan Elephants.” Ranger Rick. July 2001: 4-9.

Citing a Website:
Author. “Name of Website/Article.” [Online]. Date you retrieved it. URL address.

EX: Hubert, Jennifer. “Reading Rants! Out of the Ordinary Booklists for Teens.” [Online]. Retrieved on 9 February 2007. www.readingrants.org.

Citing a Personal Interview:
Name of person interviewed. Type of interview (personal/telephone). Date.

EX: Rosen, Matthew. Personal interview. 5 November 2007.

For further information on citing your bibliography, you may want to consult the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 6th ed. (R 808.027) in the Reference section of the library.