Because of the great variety and complexity of primary source material, the style for citing unpublished material in archival, manuscript and oral history collections is not quite as uniform as that used in noting published works. However, the format follows the same principle of organization, and is used for the same reason—to enable the reader to locate the original citation. The format described below should be used consistently throughout a text.

Initial citations

The initial citation of materials in the Muskie Archives and Special Collections Library should consist of the following elements in this sequence:

• a description of the particular item being cited, if the item is an unpublished work with no formal title
• the date of the item and, if necessary, the place where it was created
• the title of the series and any subseries, if applicable
• box and folder numbers or item number, if applicable
• the title of the collection
• the name and location of the repository

Examples of full citations

John C. Doe to Edmund S. Muskie, May 12, 1969, U.S. Senate: Senate Office Series, Box 1,565, Folder 13, Edmund S. Muskie Papers, Edmund S. Muskie Archives and Special Collections Library, Bates College, Lewiston, Maine.

Donald E. Nicoll memorandum for the file, February 21, 1972, Political Campaigns Series, 1972 Democratic Nomination for the Presidency Subseries, Box 246, Folder 4, Edmund S. Muskie Papers, Edmund S. Muskie Archives and Special Collections Library, Bates College, Lewiston, Maine.

Edmund S. Muskie, interview by Chris Beam, August 16, 1990, MOH 025, transcript, Muskie Oral History Collection, Edmund S. Muskie Archives and Special Collections Library, Bates College, Lewiston, Maine.

Edmund S. Muskie remarks to American Legion, January 12, 1972, St. Louis, Missouri, Sound Recordings Series, Cassette Tapes Subseries, SC 361, Edmund S. Muskie Papers, Edmund S. Muskie Archives and Special Collections Library, Bates College, Lewiston, Maine.

Subsequent citations

A subsequent reference may be abbreviated. However, it should include the following:

• an abbreviated item description
• the series and any subseries
• box and folder numbers or item number
• an abbreviated title of the collection The reference to the repository may be dropped.

Examples of abbreviated citations

Doe to Muskie, May 12, 1969, U.S. Senate: Senate Office Series, Box 1,565, Folder 17, Muskie Papers.

Nicoll memo, February 21, 1972, Political Campaigns Series, 1972 Democratic Nomination for the Presidency Subseries, Box 246, Folder 4, Muskie Papers.

Muskie, interview by Beam, August 16, 1990, MOH 025, Muskie Oral History Collection.

Muskie remarks to American Legion, January 12, 1972, Sound Recordings Series, Cassette Tapes Subseries, SC 361, Muskie Papers.

For most collections in the Edmund S. Muskie Archives and Special Collections Library, box and folder and other container numbers can be found in the finding aids and on the containers themselves. This information will also be provided with reproductions.

Bibliography

A bibliography containing references to primary sources need only list, in alphabetical order, the title of the collection (not each document) and the name and location of the repository. In essence, for bibliographical purposes an entire manuscript or oral history collection is treated as a discrete publication.

Examples of bibliographic citation

Muskie, Edmund S. Papers. Edmund S. Muskie Archives and Special Collections Library, Bates College, Lewiston, Maine.

Muskie, Edmund S. Oral History Collection. Edmund S. Muskie Archives and Special Collections Library, Bates College, Lewiston, Maine.

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