User guidance 6.3.1. List of publications 6.6. Numerical index 6.6.2. Bibliography Introduction to ISO 7220 Catalogues are essential aids to users of standards who must rely on catalogues, with or without the help of an information centre, to discover whether a standard on a particular subject exists and, if so, to estimate its probable relevance to their needs and to learn how to obtain it. If a technical specification or regulation, for example, requires the user to meet a particular standard that is referenced only by its identifier, users must be able to locate information on that standard in a catalogue.
Catalogues can also be essential aids to information centres for serving clients.
The arrangement of catalogues varies according to their subject fields. Consequently this International Standard is limited to providing general guidance on the preparation of catalogues that provide bibliographical and other related information on standards or standard-like publications. However, many of the provisions of this International Standard can also be used for catalogues of other items. The purpose of this International Standard is to provide guidelines for the arrangement and presentation of catalogues of standards, or publications similar to standards, in order to facilitate their use. This International Standard does not apply to card-file catalogues nor to catalogues in computer databases.