The Serials Unit purchases, catalogs, and processes periodicals, newspapers, and other serials in paper, microform, media, electronic, and special formats for both the SDSU and Imperial Valley Campus Libraries.

Acquisitions functions include: ordering, receiving, checking in, claiming, and maintaining records in in the Integrated Library System. This includes maintaining all fiscal records for acquired and contractually licensed serials materials; processing renewals and invoices for payment; coordinating license review and preparing and purchasing missing serials for binding.

Cataloging functions include: cataloging and managing catalog records for serials materials in all formats in accordance with national and international standards; maintaining bibliographic, item, holdings, current receipts, location and electronic access information in the online catalog and applying authority control.

Electronic Resource Management functions include: maintaining electronic journal knowledgebase, licensing, cost, usage, contacts and administrative data in SerialsSolutions’ electronic access and management system (CORE: 2002-; MARC service: 2003-; ERM: 2006- ) as well as maintaining SFX link resolver knowledgebase since 2002- . Binding functions include: identifying and preparing periodical issues for binding, sending binding shipments to the bindery on schedule and receiving and registering bound volumes in the OPAC.

The mission of the Serials Unit is to provide timely and reliable access to physical and electronic serials to support the teaching, learning, and research needs of the university community and beyond. This is accomplished by acquiring, managing, organizing and providing physical and electronic access to serials materials in all formats with quality and efficiency and by providing access to our onsite and off-site library users.
Serials Unit mission supports the general library mission, which currently reads: “Library and Information Access supports the information, curricular and research needs of the university’s diverse community through the widest possible range of resources. We are committed to information literacy, lifelong learning, and creative endeavors in a welcoming environment”.