International and national standards are documented agreements containing technical specifications or the precise criteria to be used consistently as rules, guidelines, or definitions of characteristics, to ensure that materials, products, processes and services are fit for their purpose. Although it is recommended that they are followed, they may have to be adapted for local requirements.
If we are to be fully confident about our preservation efforts, then we need to know that our practices, procedures, and purchases conform to established standards. While adherence to some standards is mandatory, electrical standards for example, in other cases compliance is voluntary. This puts the responsibility on the practitioner or consumer to be aware of, and to insist on, conformance with all standards governing an activity or product.
Some relevant ISO Technical Committees :
ISO JCT 1 : Information Technology
ISO TC 6 : Paper, Board and Pulps
ISO TC 21 : Equipment for Fire Protection and Fire Fighting
ISO TC 35 : Paints and Varnishes
ISO TC 37 : Terminology (Principles and Coordination)
ISO TC 42 : Photography
ISO TC 46 : Information and Documentation
ISO TC 47 : Chemistry
ISO TC 61 : Plastics
ISO TC 92 : Fire Safety
ISO TC 94 : Personal Safety – Protective Clothing and Equipment
ISO TC 120 : Leather
ISO TC 122 : Packaging
ISO TC 146 : Air Quality
ISO TC 171 : Document Imaging Applications
International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO)
1, rue de Varembe
CP 56, CH – 1211 Genève 20
Switzerland
Phone : + 41 (22) 749 0111
Fax : + 41 (22) 733 3430
<http://www.iso.ch/welcome.html>
ISO conducts its work through technical committees that work on specific materials, methods, systems, terminologies or technologies.
American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
11 West 42nd Street, 13th Floor
New York, NY 10036
USA
Phone : + 1 (212) 642 4900
Fax : + 1 (212) 398 0023
<http://www.ansi.org/>
ANSI is the USA representative to ISO and principal national standards organisation in the USA. It is a private organisation that coordinates work of committees and organisations that it has accredited as standards developers.
Standard for permanent paper
Permanent paper is free of any substance leading to self-deterioration. It has a life-expectancy of several hundred years according to accelerated ageing tests. Permanent paper characteristics are described in the ISO standard :
ISO 9706:1994 Information and Documentation Paper for Documents Requirements for Permanence.
pH between 7.5 and 10
Alkaline reserve (calcium carbonate equivalent) : 2 %
Kappa number (resistance to oxidation) : under 5
Tear resistance : 350 mN for all papers over 70g/m2
This symbol should appear on any publications printed on permanent paper :