How to Find Standards at Dartmouth
All of standards available through Dartmouth Library are digital. If you need assistance locating a standard, please contact us.
Searching the Dartmouth Library Catalog
If you already know the exact standard you are looking for, search for the standard in the library catalog. Dartmouth has access to standards through IEEE, ASCE, ASTM, and Techstreet (selected standards from ASHRAE, BS/ISO, CGA, ICC, IEC, ISO, LIA). Some standards are indexed in the library catalog, others, like Techstreet, are only available through the platform. If you need assistance when searching, please contact an engineering librarian. If the standard is not available directly from Dartmouth, please place an interlibrary loan request.
- Interlibrary Loan (ILL)Request quick access to materials not owned by Dartmouth. Login using your Dartmouth NetID credentials. Articles will be delivered in PDF format online, and physical materials can be set-up for delivery to the library of your choice on your ILL profile.
- AccessEngineering This link opens in a new windowIncludes the ability to search for referenced materials by standard.
Searching on ASCE, ASTM, IEEE
If you know that you are looking for standards from ASTM, IEEE or ASCE, you can access them directly through the databases themselves. Search functions vary, but it is recommended that you limit to "My subscription," or the equivalent, when searching.
- ASTM Standards and Engineering Digital Library This link opens in a new windowIncludes: 13,000 active standards along with 20 years of historical versions along with all redline versions; ASTM Digital Library of manuals, monographs, peer-reviewed proceedings papers, data series, and 9 ASTM journals.
- IEEE Xplore This link opens in a new windowInstitute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Provides full-text access to IEEE transactions, journals, magazines, and conference proceedings published since 1988, and more than 3,400 technical standards.
- ASCE Library This link opens in a new windowStandards by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) can be found under the drop-down menu titled "Books."
- ASM Alloy Center Database This link opens in a new windowThe ASM Alloy Center Database™ Alloy Finder is an authoritative database of more than 123,000 alloy designations, specifications, standards, and commercial grades in the U.S. and globally. The latest release includes nearly 3,000 new and updated ferrous and nonferrous alloy standards specification data sheets: UNS, ASTM, ASME, and International standards (BSI, BIS, JIS, etc.). Includes an alloy finder, coatings data, corrosion performance data, data sheets & diagrams, and materials property data.
Searching on Techstreet
To access standards on Techstreet, you need to be on the Dartmouth network or VPN.
To save your searches or prefered standards for quick access you can create an account with your Dartmouth email. Please complete all fields in the form including entering the following in the "Corporate Key" field, all lowercase: thayer
Standards are DRM protected. To access standards from Techstreet you will need to download Adobe Reader as well as FileOpen. You can download these from the left column of the Techstreet home page:
If you open a downloaded standard and it is blank, check that you are using Adobe reader and have FileOpen downloaded. If the issue persists, please contact your librarian.
- Techstreet This link opens in a new windowOnline access to selected standards from BS, CGA, and ISO. This is a custom curated collection. If you need to access a standard that you cannot find on Techstreet, please contact an engineering librarian. Adobe Acrobat (PDF Reader) and FileOpen are required to view the files. Please close the browser when you are finished. See the Engineering Standards Guide for more standards.
Searching for Standards from Other Standards Development Organizations
If you are looking for standards other than those available from IEEE, ASCE, or ASTM, it is worth navigating directly to the website of the specific standards development organization. See the "Standards Search Engines" tab in the guide for links to standards development organizations and for standards that are classified as "incorporated by reference." You can also use the NIST "Learn How to Find Standards" link below for more information.
Request a Standard
If you need a standard that is unavailable through our current collection, the library may be able to acquire it for you through our subscriptions, with a rapid turnaround. If it requires special ordering it may take additional time. Please contact an engineering librarian for assistance.
Our Engineering Standards Collection Policy
(updated 2023 July 12)
The purchase of individual standards is at the discretion of an engineering librarian. The decision will be based on an evaluation of the following:
- Is the standard required to complete a research project?
- If the standard is for a class, does the professor agree that this standard is necessary to the project?
- What is the cost of the standard?
- By when is the standard needed?
- What is the potential for reuse of the standard in the future?
- What formats are available and what are the licensing restrictions for its use? Who is it available from?
- What is the relevance of the standard to the overall engineering standards collection? Does it come from a SDO that our patrons frequently request?