What is the MLA

1
What is the MLA?

• A leading annual bibliography of books and
  articles on
• modern languages and literatures
• Linguistics
• Folklore and other related topics
• Literature from all over the world
• Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and North and
  South America.
• History and theory of linguistics, comparative
  linguistics, semantics, stylistics, syntax
  translation.
• Literary theory and criticism, dramatic arts
  (film, radio, television, theatre), teaching of
  language and literature, rhetoric and composition
  history of printing and publishing.

2
MLA Coverage

• 4,400 academic journals
• 65,000 books and articles indexed annually
• 1.6M records.
• Produced since 1921
• Electronic file since 1963 will be extended in
  2005

3
MLA Literature Online

• Full integration with the extensive library of
  primary works and criticism and reference sources
  available in Literature Online

4
Full access to MLA indexing

• All MLA index fields and descriptors available
• Easy access to thesaurus and descriptor browse
  lists
• More information at http//www.mla.org/bib_descri
  ptors

5
MLA Literature Online Journals

• Immediate access from MLA citations to full-text
  journal articles in Literature Online
• 120 of 136 FT journals in Literature Online are
  indexed in MLA
• Plus outbound linking to other library resources
• Plus JSTOR linking

6
MLA Literature Online

• Sign up for the Literature Online author alerting
  service
• Bookmark links, records and articles
• Save searches
• Email records, searches and articles
• Export citations to bibliographic software
  packages

7
MLA Literature Online

• Cross-search with the Modern Humanities Research
  Association Annual Bibliography of English
  Language and Literature (ABELL)
• Common index fields limiters
• Keyword
• Title Keyword
• Subject (includes all MLA subject terms)
• Author / Reviewer
• Publication Details
• Journal
• Publication Year
• Limit to All / Books / Reviews / Literary Works.
  

8
Cross-search MLA ABELL

• I urge every student and scholar of English to
  use ABELL as well as MLAIB (which picks up
  dissertations)
• Laura Fuderer, Subject Librarian for English and
  French Language and Literature, University of
  Notre Dame, Indiana

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Cross-search MLA ABELL

• There is no question in my mind that every
  academic library supporting serious work - and
  certainly graduate work - in English or American
  literature should make both ABELL and MLAIB
  available to users.
• As Michael Marcuse notes in his Reference Guide
  for English Studies (University of California
  Press, 1990) 'All current comparisons between
  the two bibliographies conclude by recommending
  that the scholar always consult both.'
• Evan Ira Farber, Librarian Emeritus of Earlham
  College, Richmond, Indiana