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Relaunch der Basisklassifikation

Abstract

The Basisklassifikation (BK) has been an established instrument for subject indexing in the Gemeinsamer Bibliotheksverbund (GBV) and the Österreichischer Bibliothekenverbund (OBV) since the 1990s. However, after two decades without a comprehensive revision, the system had become outdated: eurocentric perspectives, obsolete terminology, and gaps in the representation of new research fields made it clear that the BK required a fundamental modernization to maintain its relevance. The present article documents the ongoing relaunch of the BK and demonstrates that the system is by no means a relic of the past, but is gaining a new vitality through targeted further development.

The focus of the revision is the adaptation to current scientific, societal, and library-related requirements. Under the coordination of a cross-consortium editorial board and through the work of specialized expert groups, content-related and structural deficits are currently being addressed, without abandoning the system's characteristic simplicity and high practical utility. Particular attention is being paid to compatibility with existing records to ensure sustainable integration into library infrastructures by the planned rollout on April 1, 2027.

The results of this process show that the modernized BK will strengthen its role as an orientation aid for users in discovery systems while simultaneously unlocking new technological potentials. Through a recently completed translation project, the BK is now available in full in English for the first time, paving the way for international use. Furthermore, the deliberate coarseness of the BK proves to be a strategic advantage for automatic classification using machine learning methods. Thus, the Basisklassifikation proves that, through its adaptability and clarity, it remains an indispensable tool even in a highly complex digital information landscape.