The American Psychological Association (APA) style guide (as part of Academic Writer) and the Chicago Manual of Style have long been available online. It is only recently, however, that the Modern Language Association (MLA) has made its own style guide, MLA Handbook Plus, available online to colleges and universities. Following a trial period, the Sheridan Libraries at Johns Hopkins University are now pleased to announce its subscription to MLA Handbook Plus at this link, which can also be found by searching under “Databases” on the Sheridan Libraries’ home page.
In addition to showing the researcher how to cite according to the latest (ninth) edition of the MLA style guide, MLA Handbook Plus also provides the researcher access to the second edition of the MLA Guide to Digital Literacy as well as the MLA Guide to Undergraduate Research in Literature. It even includes a full video course, “MLA Style 101“, which introduces students to the basics of MLA style and allows them to test their knowledge through short quizzes. My favorite feature of MLA Handbook Plus is the “Citation Examples” section, which walks the user through the myriad types of resources they may be asked to describe in a bibliography, from books, to movie posters, to undated liner notes! Six sample papers with annotations that highlight potential pitfalls of citation are also available.
JHU students, faculty, and staff who prefer to read the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook in print are welcome to consult JHU’s local copy here. For more information about citing sources using MLA style and other styles, please consult this dedicated JHU library guide.