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Citing Materials from the UNLV Special Collections

Below are guidelines for citing the various kinds of material you will find in Special Collections & Archives.

For books and periodicals in Special Collections & Archives, you can follow typical citation rules in whatever style is required for an assignment, generally Chicago Manual of Style, MLA, or APA. 

For archival, manuscript, or photograph collections, the Chicago Manual of Style, 16th Edition does not require a particular order of elements (14.232-14.242) but does require that all of the following elements be included and that the citation elements to be ordered consistently:

  •  Author or creator of the collection
  •  Type of records in the collection
  •  Date span of collection
  •  Manuscript or series number
  •  Name of holding repository
  •  Location of holding repository

Bibliography citation examples:

[Collection Name, date span]. Collection #. Special Collections & Archives, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.

Examples:

  • Sands Hotel Collection, 1951-1980. 2000-12. Special Collections & Archives, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.
  • Union Pacific Railroad Collection, 1902-1969. 97-19. Special Collections & Archives, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.
  • Daniel Hinkley Papers, 1993-2002. 2007-05. Special Collections & Archives, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.

Footnote citation examples [when you are citing content from a particular document]:

[Item, date][Box #, Folder #]. [Collection Name, date span]. Collection #. Special Collections & Archives, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.

Examples:

  • Al Freeman to Hank Greenspun, 20 September, 1956. Box 12, Folder 3. Sands Hotel Collection, 1951-1980. 2000-12. Special Collections & Archives, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
  • Stewart railroad cottage lease, 15 October 1915. Box 10, Folder 5. Union Pacific Railroad Collection, 1902-1969. 97-19. Special Collections & Archives, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.
  • Minutes, Progressive Leadership Alliance, 12 November 2001. Box 1, Folder 2. Daniel Hinkley Papers, 1993-2002. 2007-05. Special Collections & Archives, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.

Credit lines for photograph materials:

Full citation format

[Photo caption with date if available]. [Photo Collection Name] [Collection #### (space)Photo Number ###]. Special Collections & Archives, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Example:

  • Boulder Dam construction site workers, 1934. Manis Photograph Collection 0100 0045. Special Collections & Archives, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Medium citation format

[Photo caption] [Photo Collection Name] [Collection #### (space)Photo Number ###]. UNLV Libraries Special Collections & Archives, University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Example:

  • Boulder Dam construction site workers, 1934. Manis Photo Collection 0100 0045. UNLV Libraries Special Collections & Archives, University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Brief citation format

[Photo caption] [Photo Collection Name] [Collection #### (space)Photo Number ###]. UNLV Libraries Special Collections & Archives.

Example:

  • Boulder Dam construction site workers, 1934. Manis Photo Collection. UNLV University Libraries Special Collections & Archives.