There are approximately 20,000 volumes in the book collections in this part of the library, so it is highly likely that at some point you will need to write a citation for a book (or other published work) you found in Special Collections. Luckily, citing published works is very straightforward. You simply need to follow the rules of whatever style (MLA, APA, CMS, etc.) you are using for the rest of your research. For good general guidance on citation in the most commonly used styles, visit the Online Writing Lab (OWL) website from Purdue University.
If the item you are citing was found in one of our book collections (identified by a call number that begins with Aug Inst, MissVly, Faculty/Alumni, Spec Coll, Rare Book, Charles XV, or Gustav V), that's it, you're done! Other than following the rules for citing a book (or other published work) according to the style you are using, you do not need to do anything special or different.
If the book (or other published work) you are citing was found in one of our manuscript collections or in one of our vertical files, you will need to add some location information after the normal citation. Examples are provided in the box below.
If you aren't sure if the thing you are citing is a published work or can't remember where you found the item, you can always email, call, or stop by the reading room in person and we'll be happy to help you figure it out!
Basic format:
After your normal citation for a published work (which could be a book, an article in a newspaper, magazine, or journal, an official report of a governmental body or organization, etc.), add a description of the specific location where the item was found in Special Collections.
[Regular citation]. From [Name of vertical file] vertical file, Special Collections, Augustana College, Rock Island, Illinois.
[Regular citation]. From [Folder # if available], [Box #], [MSS #] [Collection name], Special Collections, Augustana College, Rock Island, Illinois.
Example 1: An article published in Rolling Stone magazine that you found in a vertical file in Special Collections.
Sager, Mike. "Gut Check in the Heartland." Rolling Stone 7 Jan. 1993: 30-31, 54. From the Augustana College Football-1993 vertical file, Special Collections, Augustana College, Rock Island, Illinois.
Example 2: A book you found in one of the boxes of a manuscript collection.
Schlafly, Phyllis. A Choice Not an Echo. Alton, IL: Pere Marquette Press, 1964. From Box 8, MSS 156 Peter Beckman teaching collection, Special Collections, Augustana College, Rock Island, Illinois.