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ebooks: Referencing eBooks with MLA 9th Edition

Citing eBooks in MLA Style

MLA format was developed by the Modern Language Association and is currently on its 9th Edition. MLA style is generally used by students and professionals working in the humanities fields, like history, English, and literature. 

Citations for ebooks in MLA style follow the same structure as printed books. You are only adding a URL or DOI to let readers know where you located the source. 

Full MLA Citations are placed at the end of assignments on a Works Cited Page.

Important Elements for Full MLA eBook Citations 

  • Last name, First name of the author.
  • Title of the Book, italicized and capitalized as it appears online
  • Edition of the e-book
  • Name of the Publisher
  • Year published
  • URL or DOI link 
  • Access Date 
  • Remember to use hanging indent (1/2 inch) for citation information that extends beyond the one line!

Citing eBooks from a Website

Template for Citing an eBook in MLA 9

Last Name, First Name. Title of the Book: Subtitle if Used. Edition (if it is given). Publisher Name, Year of Publication, Website Name, URL. Access Date. 

Example eBook Citation in MLA 9

Henty, George Alfred. The Cat of Bubastes: A Tale of Ancient Egypt. Blackie and Son, 1889. 2009 Ebook Ed., Project Gutenberg, https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/29756/pg29756-images.html, Accessed 11 February 2025.  

Citing eBooks from a Library Database

Template for Citing eBooks from a Library Database in MLA 9

Last name, First name. Title of the Book: Subtitle if Used. Edition if it is given, Publisher Name, Year of Publication, Name of the Library Database, Permalink URL. 

Example eBook Citation from Library Database in MLA 9

McClean, Shilo T. Digital Storytelling: The Narrative Power of Visual Effects in Film. MIT Press, 2007. eBook Comprehensive Academic Collection (EBSCOhost), search.esbscohost.com

Citing a Chapter from an Edited eBook in MLA 9

An edited book refers to a book made from chapters written by different authors and complied by the editors. Because there are different authors for each chapter, you want to create a full reference citation for the specific chapter and author you are referencing.

Template Structure

Last Name, First Name of Chapter Author. "Title of the Chapter or Section." Title of eBook: Subtitle if Used, edited by editor name(s), eBook edition, Publisher, Year Published, page range, URL or DOI link.

Example of Edited Chapter Citation in MLA 9

Tygstmp, Fredetik. "Changing Spaces: Salman Rushdie's Mapping of Post-Colonial Territories." Literary Landscapes: From Modernism to Postcolonialism, edited by Attie de Lange, et al., e-book ed., Palgrave Macmillan, 2008, pp.198-213. ProQuest Ebook Central, ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/murdoch/detail.action?docID=435770.

More information about MLA citations can be found in the UI Citation Help Guide or at the MLA Formatting Guide through Purdue's Online Writing Lab (OWL)