Standards
Technical requirements that help ensure interoperability as well as health and safety.
Standards are descriptive guidelines that provide detailed instructions for designers and builders worldwide. A designer will use the standard to design the product, and a manufacturer will use the standard to manufacture the product.
Standards are written and used nationally and internationally. In the U.S., the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), a private nonprofit organization, coordinates the work of U.S. standards organizations and serves as the official U.S. representative to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), which does the same thing internationally.
More about Standards
Learn More About Standards (Standards.gov)The National Institute of Standards and Technology, part of the U.S. federal government, provides a greater explanation of standard types and resources.
Standards Developing Organizations (ANSI)The American National Standards Institute's list of Standards Developing Organizations (SDOs) that "play a role in the U.S. system, including contact information, the scope of standards development work, and their international activities by geographic region."
Finding Standards
Standards are developed and produced by nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), professional societies, and private nonprofits, and are usually a major source of income for these organizations. While the Library currently holds the 2020 ASTM standards in print and subscribes to some databases that provide access to these materials, in some cases you may need to purchase them independently of the Library.
Library Databases
AccessEngineering This link opens in a new windowIn addition to textbooks and reference books for the many fields of engineering, AccessEngineering also includes a codes and standards taxonomy that "enables you to find content that discusses specific engineering codes and standards."
IEEE Xplore This link opens in a new windowIn addition to journals and conference proceedings published by IEEE, IEEE Xplore also includes full-text of standards collections produced by IEEE in the areas of cybersecurity, AI, consumer electronics, biomedical care, and more.
Knovel Engineering & Scientific Online References This link opens in a new windowIn addition to reference books, substance and reaction references, and other materials, Knovel includes standards from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), ASM International (materials), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and others.
ASTM Standards
Library holdings: 2020 standards.
Annual Book of ASTM Standards84-volume series, call number TA401 .A653.
Find them on a spinner on the Library's second floor, for use only in the Library.
Other Standards Sources
NONPROFIT & GOVERNMENT COLLECTIONS
STANDARDS STORES
