Hello! We usually have one bibliographic record for a serial title, with the items for each separate issue (or bound volume) attached. We will make a separate bibliographic record, sometimes, for a special issue on a theme, but it will usually be an analytic record. We usually make the decision based on subject access: a majority of the issues of a serial are really about the same general subject, so do fine on the same record for that serial title. If each issue were on a separate bibliographic record, with generally the same subject headings, then it might be difficult to find a particular issue when searching by title, too. When there is a special issue all about a particular subject, then that gets a separate analytic record to bring out those subjects. (We will also create an analytic record for an article of particular interest, too.) I hope this is helpful! Cheers, Heather ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Heather Hernandez Technical Services Librarian San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park Research Center 415-561-7032, heather_hernandez@nps.gov http://www.nps.gov/safr/learn/historyculture/museum-collections.htm "The sailor does not pray for wind, he learns to sail."--Gustaf Lindborg