Works that are self-contained included a print version of a novel and the original theatrical release of a film. The title of the work is listed in the Title of Source element. The Title of Container element is left blank.
If a source has more than one container, use the format for the first container, ending with a period. Then add elements 3-9 for the second container. List only the elements you can find when you look at the source.
MLA Core Elements
Container 1:
1. Author.
2. Title of Source.
3. Title of Container,
4. Contributor,
5. Version,
6. Number,
7. Publisher,
8. Publication Date,
9. Location. (Note: this refers to page ranges and other location markers, not the place of publication.)
Container 2
3. Title of Container,
4. Contributor,
5. Version,
6. Number,
7. Publisher,
8. Publication Date,
9. Location. (Note: this refers to page ranges and other location markers, not the place of publication.)
A container can be contained by another container. As an example, an essay can appear in a print book and that book can be digitized on a website. In this case, both the book and the website are containers, as the book contains the essay and the website contains the book. If you are using articles found through a database, the database is often the second container.
Here's a citation for an article found in a search on EBSCO's Academic Search Complete:
Helmer, Jodi. “High School Students in College: Where the
Classes Are.” University Business, vol. 22, no. 3, Apr.
2019, p. 11. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/
login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=136062343.
The yellow highlights the article (Author and Title of Source). The green highlights Container 1.
Container 2 is shown in blue.
A website can be a container when it serves as the platform of publication of the version of the work you are citing. It is not a container when it is a passive conduit providing access to the work.
For example, when you look for an image on Google Images, you have to click through to the actual platform that hosts the image. Google Images is the container for original artwork like Google Doodles, but not the container for an image of the Mona Lisa.