ABSTRACT
Information technology standards, which have been an important part of librarianship in the United States for more than 70 years, are today more important than ever. The environment in which such standards arise grows increasingly complex, as the technical concerns of librarians and archivists intersect with the communities formulating technical standards for computing, networking, and digital publishing. In this entry, the nature of standards and basic aspects of the standardization process are described, key standards-making organizations are identified and their roles are assayed, and the various benefits of information-oriented technical standards are assessed.
