This American Library Association (ALA) policy statement and procedure manual is intended for use in the preparation of all standards issued by ALA and its component units to insure coordination of format and correlation of content of ALA standards. A brief discussion of the purpose of standards is offered, followed by definitions of four types of standards relevant to libraries, i.e., service or performance, technical, procedural, and educational. Sources of standards are cited and described, including ALA, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). A discussion of how standards come into being covers the identification of needs, research and data gathering, consultation, and determination of scope and format. Procedures for developing standards are then described in some detail. Elements include the authority of the division to develop standards; consultation with interested and affected parties; liaison with the Committee on Standards; terminology; content of standards and guidelines; and style. Titles of four current ALA standards are provided for the purpose of illustration. (BBM)