Skip to Main Content
J. Robert Van Pelt and John and Ruanne Opie Library

Standards

Locating standards in the Van Pelt and Opie Library

Finding Standards

1) Identify a standard you need

Search through the TechStreet Enterprise platform found via the Database A-Z list. Once you have navigated to TechStreet, perform a search for your topic. You will likely not find any results - this is because the default setting on TechStreet is to only pull up results that our library has already subscribed to. To do a more general search on what is out in the world that may be of interest, uncheck "On Subscription" after performing your search (it's on the top-left of the results). 

 

Note: You can read standards we have already subscribed to in your browser. If you'd like to download them, you will need to download the Adobe program FileOpen. There is a link to this program on the TechStreet homepage.

 

You can also search a standards sales website to gt a sense for what is available. Some examples:

  • NSSN (database of the American National Standards Institute)
  • TechStreet or IHS Global: Both of these are sales websites for standards. Use them to search, but  do not purchase standards here. Skip to step 2 to discover if we have full text of the standards you've found.

If you need help identifying a standard you need, please Ask Us!

2) Contact the library
The databases above offer standards for sale. However, you do not have to buy the one(s) you need! Once you have identified a standard, determine whether the library owns it using the following resources:

  • VPOL Print Standards Collection - search this by publishing organization & number (ex. ISO 12321) to determine whether we own a standard in print. If so, it will be available on the first floor of the library in the Standards section between the Ask Us! station and the library cafe. You can check it out for up to 5 days.
  • ASTM Compass - ASTM Standards available online
  • IEEE Xplore -  IEEE and some SMPTE standards available online. To search, narrow your search in IEEE Xplore to Standards under the drop-down menu at the top of the page. 
  • SAE Mobilus - Ground Vehicle and Aerospace standards available
  • TechStreet Enterprise - one off standards we subscribe to (often ISO or ANSI) are housed on this platform

Alternatively, you may contact the library and a librarian will check for you. 

3) (If necessary) Request an order
If the library does not have the standard you need and you are a Michigan Tech student, faculty, or staff member, complete this Request a Standard form. We consider standard purchase requests on a case by case basis.