Journals, magazines, and newspapers are usually referred to as periodicals or serials. They are resources that the library subscribes to, rather than one-time purchases. Costs are ongoing, and issues arrive regularly, until we cancel the subscription. This differs from a monograph, which is received only once.

Periodicals and serials are often published in issues and volumes; several issues make up a volume. Our current periodicals are the newest issues, and they're kept on the Main (2nd) Floor of the Bata Library. They are shelved in alphabetical order by title. Once we have a full volume in the library, we send it away for binding, where all the issues are put together and given a hard cover. When they return to the library, they are shelved in the stacks under their call number.

All our periodicals are listed in TOPCAT. TOPCAT tells us which volumes and issues of each title are available in the library.

The majority of our periodicals and serials are only available online, which means they never physically arrive in the library, but we pay for access to them on the web.