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rather than the Thema List 4 Educational or List 5 Interest Age values. In the UK and Europe the supply chain would provide them as Thema Subject Codes. Canada contains two distinct supply chains, the French and English language ones, and the Canadian French Language supply chain tends towards Thema codes for Audience and age (they have strong European connections). Therefore there are "Canadian" values on these lists and you're welcome to use the them as supporting both isn't a problem if you see a need (and it doesn't contradict). Be aware that if your interest is the North American English language market you should not expect retailer uptake of Thema codes for List 4 Education and List 5 Interest Age without checking with them
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Subject codes can add meaning to subjects too
In using the BISAC Subject Codes there are a number of things you shouldn't do – one being mix Fiction and Nonfiction codes or mix codes from Juvenile, Young Adult and the balance (general trade adult). Don't dilute the message.
Thema coding is less restricted. Obviously if the book is Fiction then the main subject must be a Fiction code – retailers and consumers have to be able to differentiate between fiction and nonfiction – but having identified the book Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith as a Fiction: mashup, you might well use coding that included
| Main Subject | Subject Code | Qualifier Code | Heading |
|---|---|---|---|
| FYM | Fiction: mashup | ||
| FK | Horror & supernatural fiction | ||
| DNBH1 | Autobiography: historical, political & military | ||
| 3MNQ-US-E | American Civil War and Reconstruction (1861–1877) | ||
| 1KBB-US-SEC | District of Columbia (Washington D.C.) | ||
| NHTS | Slavery & abolition of slavery |
Used appropriately and with clarity any code can be combined. Remember that a retailer or a consumer has to be use the classification, it must be accurate, and practically you are more likely to use non-fiction codes to add depth to fiction than the reverse, but Thema coding allows flexibility
Sample Thema in an ONIX Record
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