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Program Teachers

Chicago

Entire Website

Library of Congress Logo
loc.gov

The website of the Library of Congress connects users to content areas created by the Library’s many experts. In some cases, content can be posted without a clear indication of author, title, publisher or copyright date. Look for available clues and give as much information as possible, including the URL and date accessed.

Chicago Citation Format
(Chicago Manual of Style, 18th ed., sections 14.161, 14.104)

Structure:

  1. Title of Site; a subsection of a larger work is in quotes.
  2. Date of access.
  3. URL

Title of Site, Date of access, URL.

Example:
Library of Congress, "Teachers." accessed September 26, 2025, https://www.loc.gov/teachers

Cartoons

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 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.

Chicago Citation Format
(Chicago Manual of Style, 18th ed., sections 14.161, 14.133)

Structure:

  1. Author’s or creator’s last name, first name, middle initial (if given).
  2. Title of work (in italics); a subsection of a larger work is in quotes and primary document in italics.
  3. Format (cartoon or illustration).
  4. Creation date.
  5. Source (From Library of Congress in normal font), Collection name with dates if given (in italics).
  6. URL

Last name, First name Middle initial. Title of Work. Format. Creation date. Source, Collection. URL

Example:
Franklin, Benjamin. “Join or Die.” The Pennsylvania Gazette. Illustration. May 9, 1754. From Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Online Catalog. https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2002695523/

Films

Rothchild Co dime store
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 the Library of Congress online collections.

Chicago Citation Format
(Chicago Manual of Style, 18th ed., sections 14.161, 14.167)

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 if given (in italics).
  6. URL
  7. Accessed date (in parenthesis).

Last name, First name Middle initial. Title of Film. Format. City: Publishing Company, copyright date. Source, Collection., https://...(accessed date).

Example:
Armitage, Frederick S., photographer. Bargain Day, Fourteenth Street, 35 mm film. New York: American Mutoscope and Biograph Co, 1905. From Library of Congress, Early Motion Pictures, 1897-1920. https://www.loc.gov/item/00694373 (accessed September 26, 2025).

Government Publications

An excerpt from page 1 of the House Report on Englargement of the Capitol Grounds.

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. Look for available clues and give as much information as possible, including the URL and date accessed.

Chicago Citation Format
(Chicago Manual of Style, 18th ed., sections 14.182, 14.161)

Structure:

  1. Creator’s last name, first name, middle initial.
  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, date (include as much information as possible such as page numbers).
  5. URL
  6. Accessed date (in parenthesis).

Last name, First name Middle initial. Title of Work. Format. City: Publishing Company, date. https://...(accessed date).

Example:
United States Congress. House. Enlargement of the Capitol Grounds. Pdf. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1926. https://www.loc.gov/resource/llserialsetce.08532_00_00-177-0652-0000/?sp=1&st=image (accessed September 26, 2025).

Manuscripts

typed letter
Helen Keller to John Hitz, August 29, 1893

The Library of Congress online collections include letters, diaries, recollections, and other written material. One example is this letter from Helen Keller to Mr. John Hitz. Helen describes her trip to Chicago to visit the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893.

Chicago Citation Format
(Chicago Manual of Style, 18th ed., sections 14.161, 14.119)

Structure:

  1. Author’s last name, first name, middle initial.
  2. Title of work (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 if given (in italics).
  6. URL
  7. Accessed date (in parenthesis).

Last name, First name Middle initial. Title of Work. Format. City: Publishing Company, copyright date. Source, Collection. https://...(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. https://www.loc.gov/item/magbellbib004020 (accessed September 26, 2025).

Maps and Charts

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

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 the Library of Congress Geography and Map Division.

Chicago Citation Format
(Chicago Manual of Style, 18th ed., sections 14.161, 14.135)

Structure:

  1. Author’s last name, first name, middle initial (if given, or person responsible for content).
  2. Title of work (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 if given (in italics).
  6. URL
  7. Accessed date (in parenthesis).

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

Example:
Ashmun, Jehudi. Map of the West Coast of Africa from Sierra Leone to Cape Palmas, including the Colony of Liberia. Map. Philadelphia: A. Finley, 1830. From Library of Congress, Map Collections. https://www.loc.gov/item/96680499 (accessed September 26, 2025).

Newspapers

An excerpt from The Stars and Stripes

Historic newspapers provide a glimpse of 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.

Chicago Citation Format
(Chicago Manual of Style, 18th ed., sections 14.161, 14.89)

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. Date of publication (Month, day, year).
  5. Source (From Library of Congress in normal font), Collection name with dates if given (in italics).
  6. URL
  7. Accessed date (in parenthesis).

Last name, First name Middle initial. "Title of Article;" Title of Newspaper Format. Date. Source, Collection. https://...(accessed date).

Example:
The Stars and Stripes, “Services Plan to Aid Returned Men in Securing Jobs.” Dec. 13, 1918. From Library of Congress, Chronicling America Historic American Newspapers /resource/20001931/1918-12-13/ed-1 (accessed September 26, 2025).

Oral History Interviews

Gwendolyn M. Patton

Chicago Citation Format
(Chicago Manual of Style, 18th ed., sections 14.161, 14.110)

Structure:

  1. Title of Interview in quotes
  2. Interviewer's first name, last name (if available).
  3. Title of publication or website
  4. Date of recording or publication
  5. URL
  6. Accessed date (in parenthesis)

"Title of interview" by First Name Last name of interviewer, Title of publication or website. Month, Day, Year of publication, URL (accessed date).

Example:
"Gwendolyn M. Patton oral history interview conducted by Joseph Mosnier in Montgomery, Alabama, 2011-06-01." From the Library of Congress, Civil Rights Oral History Project. Film. https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2010039_crhp0020/ (accessed September 25, 2025).

Photographs

Four African American Women Seated on steps of building at Atlanta University, Georgia

Photographs and drawings appear in many of the Library of Congress digitized historical collections.

Chicago Citation Format
(Chicago Manual of Style, 18th ed., sections 14.161, 14.133)

Structure:

  1. Photographer’s last name, first name, middle initial (if given).
  2. “Photo Title.” (Title of a single photograph is in quotes, not italics.) [Include brackets if given in item 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 if given (in italics).
  6. URL
  7. Accessed date (in parenthesis).

Last name, First name Middle initial. Title of Photograph. Format. City: Publishing Company, copyright date. Source, Collection. https://...(accessed date).

Example:
Askew, Thomas E. “Four African American women seated on steps of building at Atlanta University, Georgia.” Photograph. Atlanta, Georgia, 1899. [or 1900] From Library of Congress: African American Photographs Assembled for 1900 Paris Exposition.. https://www.loc.gov/item/95507126/ (accessed September 26, 2025).

Sound Recordings

Haste to the Wedding

This recording of Thomas Mann performing Haste to the Wedding is an example of Anglo-American dance music on the dulcimer recorded in July, 1937.

Chicago Citation Format
(Chicago Manual of Style, 18th ed., sections 14.161, 8.204)

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 if given (in italics).
  6. URL
  7. Accessed date (in parenthesis).

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

Example:
Mann, Thomas, performer. “Haste to the Wedding.” Sound recording. Ortonville, Iowa: Sidney Robertson Cowell, July, 1937. From Library of Congress, California Gold: Northern California Folk Music from the Thirties. www.loc.gov/item/2017700868/ (accessed September 26, 2025).

Articles and Essays

Childhood portrait of Wilbur Wright

Many collections include articles, 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.

Chicago Citation Format
(Chicago Manual of Style, 18th ed., sections 14.161)

Structure:

  1. Author’s last name, first name, middle initial (if given).
  2. Title of work (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 if given (in italics).
  6. URL
  7. Accessed date (in parenthesis).

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

Example:
The Wilbur and Orville Wright Timeline, 1867-1948. Special presentation. From the Library of Congress, The Wilbur and Orville Wright Papers. https://www.loc.gov/collections/wilbur-and-orville-wright-papers/articles-and-essays/the-wilbur-and-orville-wright-timeline-1846-to-1948/ (accessed September 26, 2025).