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CSA OnDemand: Get Started

Get Started

CSA OnDemand is a searchable library of standards from the Canadian Standards Association. It provides continually updated standards for online viewing and downloadable PDFs. Standards available through NSCC's subscription cover subject areas including

  • Environment & Natural Resources
  • Construction & Infrastructure
  • Mechanical & Industrial Equipment
  • Health Care and Well-being
  • Electrical
  • and many others.

This guide will show you how to:

How to get to CSA OnDemand?

From NSCC's CSA OnDemand main page, you can keyword search in the "Search Products" search field or select My Library on the right for a full list of all Standards available.

CSA my library link

Search standards

Once in the My Library section, you’ll see a list of available standards (“parents”). Click on one of the standards from the list to see the current and previous editions of that standard (“children” of that standard).

You can search for specific standards by:

  • Typing keywords in the search field that says "Search Products"
  • Search or limit by Subject Area

 

  • Or search by partial of full ICS Code.

View Standards Online

Once you select a standard, you will see View Online; this is the Web Viewer Version. We recommend accessing standards this way whenever possible.

 

Select View Online and the standard will open in the Online Web Viewer (can be used with any mobile device). Here you can use the zoom function to increase font size, go to a specific page, and search within the document.

Share Link

Important: Students or colleagues receiving or accessing a CSA OnDemand Standard link have go into CSA OnDemand via NSCC Libraries' website FIRST, before the link will work. Off-site you will be prompted for your W# and password (same as used for NSCC email). An example message is provided below.

 

You can link to specific Standards using the Share button located above the View Online and Download PDF options. Links can be pasted into an email or added to a Brightspace course.

When you select Share, a window will appear on your screen with the permalink to that Standard. Select Copy Link.

copy shareable link

 

Add Standard Link to a Brightspace Course

  1. Copy Link
  2. In Brightspace course and module you wish to add link, select New > Create a File.
  3. In the Rich Text Editor, type the name of the Standard and hyperlink it using the Link you copied from CSA OnDemand.
  4. Provide a message to students that they must access CSA OnDemand via NSCC Libraries' webpage FIRST in order for the link to work. If you provide a link to CSA OnDemand (the main collection link) set it to Open in New Window in Brightspace.

An example message might be:

To link to Standard Z317.5-17 Illumination Design in Health Care Facilities

  1. Go to NSCC Libraries’ CSA OnDemand link FIRST:  https://store-csagroup-org.ezproxy.nscc.ca/ondemand/s/   (NOTE to Course designers: this link works best if it opens in a New Window - set that when you add it)
  2. Off-site you will be prompted with your w# and password – same as for your NSCC email
  3. Then click on the Standard link provided: (i.e. https://view-csagroup-org.ezproxy.nscc.ca/WmzNBZ )

Please note: Sharing downloaded PDFs through Brightspace would require special copyright permission. Please contact leigh.gagnier@nscc.ca for more information.

Downloading standards as PDF's

While off campus, CSA recommends using the View Online access (web viewer) but you can download a standard as a PDF if you need to access it off-site and offline.

*On-site access of a downloaded PDF doesn’t require the self-registration process and can be viewed on campus.

Important information if you need to download a PDF to view offline:

  • You must be logged in as a self-registered user to download the PDF
  • You must be on a campus when you download the PDF
  • PDF's must be opened in Adobe Acrobat

Once you download the PDF, open it at least once while on-campus (must be opened in Adobe Acrobat). You can now open the PDF of the standard using Adobe Acrobat off-site.

Important information about Adobe Acrobat: the Global Object Security policy check box must be unchecked in the machine’s Adobe settings (Edit or Menu > Preferences > Javascript and uncheck the "Enable global object security policy" checkbox plus OK).


What is Self-registration?

Please see the CSA OnDemand guide to Self-Registration for this process, pages 2-3.

Accessibility and CSA OnDemand downloaded PDF's

CSA PDF's are compatible with the Read Out Loud feature in Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Read Out Loud  is a text-to-speech feature and can be activated in Adobe Acrobat from the menu and then choose View > Read Out Loud > Activate Read Out Loud.

Need help?

Contact your Campus Library for assistance.