I would imagine there are only a few people in this world who actually enjoy reading style guides. I guess I’m one of them.

My gray-covered copy of edition six was well-worn by the time I graduated from Bible College in the 1990s. I remember pouring over its pages, looking for the precise way to cite books and articles sourced from the school library.

Scholarly writing isn’t limited to the library any more. Edition eight is a massive improvement that takes the diversity of modern sources seriously. Say a student needs to cite a video, for example. Is it from YouTube, Netflix, or an old DVD? MLA eight focuses on general principles that can be applied to all sources, whether an article from the paper copy of an academic journal or an online tweet.

In focusing on general principles rather than comprehensive rules, the Modern Language Association of America was able to condense the style guide. This edition weighs in at only 146 pages. Despite its brevity, the work is comprehensive, providing students with everything they need to cite their sources in an accurate and consistent manner.

MLA Handbook. 8th ed., Modern Language Association of America, 2016.