Thema Mapping Working Group

Current Situation

BISAC Subject Codes are the standard for categorization in the U.S., Canadian, and other markets. A different subject classification scheme, Thema, serves markets in Europe, Asia, and elsewhere. Introduced in 2013, Thema has replaced national subject classification schemes in more than two dozen markets. For publishers that sell books in both the U.S. and international markets using Thema, a map of BISAC subject codes to a Thema equivalent can help reduce the work required to select a code for international sales. This working group has updated the map from BISAC to Thema each year for more than a decade.

Objectives

This working group meets annually to update an existing map of BISAC to Thema. The work begins after the new code list for BISAC is published. New codes are added to the list and they are mapped to an appropriate Thema option. Codes with updated literals are reconsidered, to make sure that the Thema recommendation is still the best alternative. Inactivated codes in BISAC are removed from the map. Because Thema is updated in even-numbered years, the work to map from BISAC to Thema is more complex after those updates are made. 

Stakeholder Impact

Using the appropriate Thema codes in markets where the scheme is deployed can help publishers convey the subject of a book to distributors and retailers. This information helps retailers drive sales in their markets. The work required to choose the right code can be time-consuming, and the map helps publishers who have already invested in selecting BISAC codes quickly find a relevant choice in Thema. While the Subject Codes committee and the Thema working group both recommend that publishers consider the book they are marketing before specifying the recommended Thema code, the map provides an immediate reference that can be used to add Thema codes to both front-list and backlist titles.

Deliverables

Each year, the working group delivers a map showing Thema options for every BISAC code maintained by BISG at that time. After the map is created, it is shared with everyone who has downloaded the current BISAC code list, and the download package is updated to provide the map to anyone downloading the BISAC code list after that time.

Blockers

A subset of members of the BISG Subject Codes committee typically staff the working group. The primary challenge is time, particularly in years following a full update of the Thema code list, when both sides of the map is changing. The working group meets frequently (weekly or every other week) to review and finish the mapping, operating with section assignments and meeting to discuss issues and concerns with new codes or updated literals.