Reference department collections contain a wide variety of serials and serial‐like publications. These include (among others) indexing and abstracting services, directories, almanacs, books‐in‐prints ources, statistical works, trade and national bibliographies, union lists, biographical sources, government publications, and travel guides. Such publications are ideally updated via subscriptions or standing orders with vendors or publishers, and managed by sophisticated integrated systems with serials control features to facilitate claiming, check‐in, and other serials functions such as binding.