What is Thema?
Thema is a multilingual subject category scheme designed to meet the needs of publishers, retailers and trade intermediaries in all sectors of the global book publishing business. It is managed by an international group of stakeholders, and is free to use. Thema aims to enhance the merchandising, discoverability and potential sales of books by simplifying the communication of accurate and detailed subject information across international markets and reducing the need to maintain numerous national subject schemes.
Thema is a global scheme and is based on hierarchical code structures. It is a general purpose scheme and is not intended to replace specialist or library schemes but is designed to replace national general purpose book trade schemes over time. In the medium-term, the benefit is that users need only map between their own scheme and Thema, rather than to and from numerous other schemes used by trading partners.
BIC’s involvement with Thema
BIC runs the UK Thema National Group, which feeds directly into the International Thema Steering Committee.
Current version of Thema
Information and basic user instructions for Thema v.1.5 (released April 2022)
Browse and search the Thema codes – https://ns.editeur.org/thema/en
Find out what’s new for Thema v.1.5, here.
View recording of BIC Brunch webinar ‘What’s new in Thema v.1.5.’
Using Thema Documents
Various documents of using Thema are available here.
Previous version of Thema
Information and basic user instructions for Thema v.1.4 (released April 2020)
Thema resources
BIC is running a series of Thema BIC Brunches, view details in BIC Brunches 2022 and 2023.
Read The Introduction to Thema BIC Bite, here.
Read our BIC Bite about Thema for Booksellers, here.
A Quick Reference for the Thema Browser can be found, here.
Mappings
Mappings from BIC to Thema and BISAC to Thema
Libraries and Thema
Thema vs UKSLC
The UK Standard Library Categories (UKSLC) Scheme was updated in September 2019 and is now based on the international Thema subject categories, taking advantage of the new developments featured in Thema. More information can be found here.
A Basic Guide to the Differences between Thema and UKSLC
Further reading
Articles
Description of Thema – March 2016
EDItEUR’s Graham Bell writes an article for Public Libraries News (PLN) Newsletter regarding Thema and the benefits of its use in libraries.
Read the full article here.
Book Description Standard Goes Worldwide – December 2015
Nielsen BookData’s Howard Willows (and the Chair of the UK Thema National Group) provides an update on Thema, the subject classification scheme for the global book trade.
Read the full article here.
Singing From The Same Hymn Sheet – July 2014
EDItEUR’s Graham Bell describes Thema, the new subject classification for the global book trade.
Read the full article here.
Making Cents of Subjects – December 2015
EDItEUR’s Graham Bell outlines the merits of Thema, the international and multilingual subject category scheme aiming to enhance merchandising and discoverability, reduce duplication of work and boost sales across the global book trade.
Read the article here.
Press releases
EDItEUR publishes Thema 1.0, 1st November 2013
Thema News from Frankfurt 10th October 2012
Thema support mailing list
Sign up to EDItEUR’s support mailing list for implementation questions and / or requests for clarification.
Alternatively, find out more about Thema Maintenance and Support on EDItEUR’s website,