The DDC and Thema 1.6 compared. A mapping proposal

Abstract

This paper presents the first comprehensive mapping between the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) and the Thema 1.6 classification scheme, with the aim of identifying convergences and differences between two reference systems respectively used in the library domain and in the international book supply chain. The study was carried out through a comparative analysis of the two classification languages and led to the development of a correspondence framework. The mapping seeks not only to lay the groundwork for a more consistent and productive dialogue between the various stakeholders of the book industry and the library sector, but also to show how, within the library context, having a correspondence scheme between the two systems can help optimize the different stages of collection management – from selection to the spatial organization of materials in the library – with the goal of improving the quality of bibliographic offerings and facilitating the encounter between books and readers, in an increasingly less self-referential perspective.