Access to standards over the Web: A comparison of searching services

Standards have become an indispensable collection resource in science and engineering libraries, used by patrons and reference staff alike. This paper discusses and compares the various Web-based standards databases. Specifically examined are services from Information Handling Service (IHS); ILI Infodisk, Inc.; American National Standards Institute (ANSI); American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM); the National Standards Service Network (NSSN); the Department of Defense's Acquisition Streamlining and Standardization Information System (ASSIST); and the World Standards Network (WSSN). Information is presented on search, retrieval and display capabilities and sample search results are shown and analyzed for these various standards services.