Reference librarians in today's academic libraries are typically confronted with a growing array of simultaneous demands. Strained financial resources, staffing shortages, the challenge of adding new services, the explosion of information, and the electronic revolution have complicated (and sometimes compromised) the delivery of quality services. In response to many universities' growing commitment to offer nontraditional degree programs, reference staff are also assuming more responsibility for night and weekend instruction.

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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.

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