Skip to Main Content
Archives & Special Collections (ASC)

Citations for Archival Materials: Examples

Citing Archival Documents, including Oral Histories

Note: ASC recommends treating published items found in reference files like other published materials. Unpublished items should be cited according to the patterns below, with the title of the reference file used in place of the collection title. 

APA

Standard bibliographical format: Author (date). Title [or supplied title.] Collection (additional locating information). Repository, Repository location.

Example:

Braden, A. (1973, January 1). [Letter to Jim Braden.] Anne Braden Papers (Box 5, Folder 2). Archives & Special Collections, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY.

Chicago

Standard bibliography format:

Author, Item. Collection, Repository.

Example:

Braden, Anne. Letter to Jim Braden. Anne Braden Papers, Archives & Special Collections, University of Louisville.

If more than one item from a collection is used, cite the entire collection in the bibliography:

Anne Braden Papers. Archives & Special Collections, University of Louisville.

MLA

Standard bibliographical format:

Author. Item. Date. MS/TS. Collection. Repository, Repository location.

(note: MS=handwritten; TS=written using some type of machine)

Example:

Braden, Anne. Letter to Jim Braden. 1 January 1973. MS. Anne Braden Papers, Archives & Special Collections, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY.

Oral Histories

APA

Standard bibliography format:

Interviewee’s name (date of interview). Interview by Interviewer [Format]. Name of Project (if any), Repository, Repository location. 

Example:

Abner, R. (1980, November 3). Interview by Mary Bobo [Tape recording]. Louisville and Nashville Railroad Oral History Project, Oral History Center (Tape 1980-6), Archives & Special Collections, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY.

Chicago

Standard bibliographical format:

Interviewee. Title. Repository.

Example:

Abner, Ray. Interview by Mary Bobo. Oral History Center, Archives & Special Collections, University of Louisville.

MLA

Standard bibliography format:

Interviewee’s name. Interview by Interviewer’s name. Project. Repository, Repository location. Format.

Example:

Abner, Ray. Interview by Mary Bobo. Louisville and Nashville Railroad Oral History Project. Archives & Special Collections, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY. Audiocassette.

From UofL Libraries: Citing Sources.

Citing Photographs

*All image citations, in any style, must include the following three points of information: Name of photographer or collection; image number; Archives & Special Collections, University of Louisville.

APA

Bibliographic entry, standard:
Last Name, First Name (Profession). (year created). Photograph Title [Photograph]. Louisville, Kentucky; Archives & Special Collections, University of Louisville.

Example:
Caufield & Shook (Photographer). (1935). CS 139347 [Photograph]. Louisville, Kentucky; Archives & Special Collections, University of Louisville.

Bibliographic entry, from a website:
Last Name, First Name (Profession). (year created). Photograph Title [Photograph]. Louisville, Kentucky; Archives & Special Collections, University of Louisville. Retrieved date, from website url.

Example:
Caufield & Shook (Photographer). (1935). CS 139347 [Image of photograph]. Louisville, Kentucky; Archives & Special Collections, University of Louisville. Retrieved August 4, 2023, from https://digital.library.louisville.edu/concern/images/ulpa_cs_139347?locale=en.

Chicago

Bibliographic entry, standard:
Last name, First name. Photograph Title. Year Created. Medium. Dimensions. Museum/Collection Name, City.

Example:
Caufield & Shook. CS 139347. 1935. Silver gelatin print. 8 in. x 10 in. Archives & Special Collections, University of Louisville, Louisville.

Bibliographic entry from a website:
Last name, First name. Photograph Title. Year Created. Medium. Dimensions. Museum/Collection Name, City. <website url>, accessed date.

Example:
Caufield & Shook. CS 139347. 1935. Silver gelatin print. 8 in. x 10 in. Archives & Special Collections, University of Louisville, Louisville. <https://digital.library.louisville.edu/concern/images/ulpa_cs_139347?locale=en, accessed 4 Aug. 2023.

MLA

Bibliographic entry, standard:
Last name, First Name. Photograph Title. Year Created. Medium. Museum/Collection Name, City.

Example:
Caufield & Shook. CS 139347. 1935. Silver gelatin print. Archives & Special Collections, University of Louisville, Louisville.

Bibliographic entry from a website:
Last name, First Name. Photograph Title. Year Created. Medium. Museum/Collection Name, City. Accessed date. <website url>.

Example:
Caufield & Shook. CS 139347. 1935. Silver gelatin print. 8 in. x 10 in. Archives & Special Collections, University of Louisville, Louisville. Accessed 4 Aug. 2023. https://digital.library.louisville.edu/concern/images/ulpa_cs_139347?locale=en