Adding Individual Technical Standards to a Library Collection: A Case Study and a Proposed Workflow

Abstract

Acquiring technical standards connects libraries with vendors who are very protective, legally and technologically, of their products. To conform to the technical restrictions placed on standards, librarians must think creatively and adopt a workflow more labor-intensive than with other publications. This article presents a case study of one institution, a basic discussion of the issues surrounding the addition of technical standards to a library collection, and a stepwise process for the situation in which a patron requests an individual standard.