Does Your Contractor Have a Library Card?

If you asked a hundred different people, “Why do you think people go to the library?” you will likely get a hundred different answers—and possibly none of them would have to do with building houses or complying with government and industry standards. Yet, people in the construction and home improvement business need to refer to the latest information on construction, permits, electrical and plumbing work, and basic standards for building, improving, or renovating houses and residential structures. And these people know something many others don’t—Prince William Public Libraries have the manuals they need to meet those needs.

The International Residential Code, used by most jurisdictions in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the territories, has been revised every three years beginning in 1997. The code addresses fire safety and plumbing sanitation and promotes new construction techniques and materials that maximize environmental safety and minimize ecological impact. Because the code is under constant review and revision, it is dated three years prior to the current year—so the new code, just recently published, is dated 2018.

The library has several copies of the new code coming to the branches soon as part of a comprehensive update of our plumbing, electrical, and construction code holdings. Along with the International Building Code, your library is also obtaining the new edition of the International Building Code, which covers commercial buildings and similar codes for older buildings, mechanical systems, and fuel oil.

Also, the latest edition of the National Electrical Code specifically addresses electrical systems, and the library also has the Virginia Construction Code, which specifies how the Commonwealth interprets, defines, and sometimes exceeds the baseline requirements in the International Codes.

While nobody will likely check any of these books out for recreational reading—and they can be checked out—if you’re in a situation where you need to be sure your home or place of business is “up to code,” Prince William Public Libraries can help.

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Written by Kirk Johnson, Prince William Public Libraries Materials Services Division