Using Thema and ONIX to boost discoverability

Using Thema and ONIX to boost
discoverability and visibility 
of Canada’s diverse voices
Chris Saynor
EDItEUR
BookNet Canada webinar, July 8th 2020

It’s about giving booksellers, librarians, educators 
and readers enough information 
so they can make an informed choice

It’s about giving booksellers, librarians, educators 
and readers enough information 
so they can make an informed choice 
and also making sure that this information is
available and used throughout 
the data supply chain

ONIX for Books
• ONIX carries metadata that is a combination of bibliographic
information, marketing collateral and supply chain details
• ONIX is an overtly commercial communication format intended to help
publishers, supply chain intermediaries and retailers sell more books
• contrast with MARC, which is purely bibliographic
• ONIX is a large message, with many optional parts
• no-one uses it all – because not all of it is relevant to every product
• but most senders also fail to include useful metadata…
• …and most recipients fail to use everything that is available to them

ONIX 3.0 data elements
• message details
• identity and authority
• record details
• product identifiers
• 1. descriptive details
• product form
• special features
• packaging
• physical size
• DRM, usage constraints
• trade classification
• product parts
• collection titles
• titles
• contributors
• event
• edition
• language
• extents and other content
• subject
• audience

• 2. collateral details
• supporting text
• cited material
• supporting resources
• prizes
• 7. promotion detail
• 3. content detail
• 4. publishing details
• imprint and publisher
• lifecycle dates
• copyright details
• territorial rights
• 5. related material
• related works
• related products
• 6. supply details
• markets
• market publishing details
• suppliers
• prices, tax, trade discounts

Pre- or post-coordination
BISAC – JUV002030 JUVENILE FICTION /
Animals / Bears
Thema – YFP Children’s / Teenage fiction: Nature
and animal stories + YNNJ23 Children’s /
Teenage general interest: Bears + 5AG Interest
age: from c 6 years

Sample of ONIX
<EditionType>BLL</EditionType>
<Language>
<LanguageRole>01</LanguageRole>
<LanguageCode>iku</LanguageCode> 
<ScriptCode>Cans</ScriptCode> 
</Language> 
<Language>
<ScriptCode>Latn</ScriptCode> 
</Language>
<Language>
<LanguageCode>eng</LanguageCode> 
</Language>
YBLL – Early years: nature and animals
YNNJ2 – Children’s / Teenage general interest: Large
land mammals
YNNB9 – Children’s / Teenage general interest: Wildlife
and habitats: Ice, snow and tundra
5AC – Interest age: from c 3 years

YBLA – Early years: letters and words
YPCA1 – Educational: First / native language: Basic
literacy
2JNBK – Inuktitut / Inuktut
4Z-CA-A – For Elementary Education (Canada)
5AD – Interest age: from c 4 years
Sample of ONIX
<EditionType>BLL</EditionType>
<Language>
<ScriptCode>Cans</ScriptCode> 
</Language> 
<Language>
<ScriptCode>Latn</ScriptCode> 
</Language>
<Language>
<LanguageCode>eng</LanguageCode> 
</Language>

<ContributorDescription language="eng">Richard Van Camp is a proud member of the Dogrib (Tlicho) Nation
from Fort Smith, NWT. He is an internationally renowned storyteller and best-selling author of 24 books in just
about every genre. </ContributorDescription>
<ContributorDescription language="eng">Afua Cooper is a Jamaican-born Canadian historian, author and
academic.</ContributorDescription>
<ContributorDescription language="eng">Leo Tulugarjuk was coordinator of The Niutaq Cultural Institute (NCI)
for several years. NCI serves the thirteen communities of the Baffin Region by spearheading various projects to
preserve Inuit culture and beliefs.</ContributorDescription>

<ContributorDescription language="eng">Richard Van Camp is a proud member of the Dogrib (Tlicho) Nation
from Fort Smith, NWT. He is an internationally renowned storyteller and best-selling author of 24 books in just
about every genre. </ContributorDescription>
<ContributorDescription language="eng">Afua Cooper is a Jamaican-born Canadian historian, author and
academic.</ContributorDescription>
<ContributorDescription language="fre">Poète, nouvelliste et romancière, Marie-Célie Agnant est née en Haïti et 
habite au Québec depuis 1970.</ContributorDescription>
<ContributorDescription language="eng">Marie-Célie Agnant is an occasional storyteller, a writer of poems, novels 
and novellas, born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti and has lived in Quebec since 1970.</ContributorDescription>
<ContributorDescription language="esp">Marie-Célie Agnant, escritora haitiana afincada en Quebec desde 1970 es 
autora de poemas, novelas y relatos cortos, también es cuentacuentos ocasional.</ContributorDescription>
<ContributorDescription language="hat">Marie-Célie Agnant se yon fanm ekriven kebèkwaz (Kanada) orijinè 
Dayiti.</ContributorDescription>
<ContributorDescription language="eng">Leo Tulugarjuk was coordinator of The Niutaq Cultural Institute (NCI)
for several years. NCI serves the thirteen communities of the Baffin Region by spearheading various projects to
preserve Inuit culture and beliefs.</ContributorDescription>

<ContributorPlace>  
<CountryCode>CA</CountryCode
</ContributorPlace>
<ContributorPlace>  
<ContributorPlaceRelator>01</ContributorPlaceRelator>  
<RegionCode>CA-ON</RegionCode> 
<LocationName language="eng">Chippewas of Rama Mnjikaning First Nation</LocationName> 
</ContributorPlace>
<ContributorPlace>
<CountryCode>CA</CountryCode> 
</ContributorPlace>
<ContributorPlace>
<ContributorPlaceRelator>04</ContributorPlaceRelator> 
<RegionCode>CA-NL</RegionCode> 
<Location>St. John’s</Location>
</ContributorPlace>

<Contributor>
<SequenceNumber>1</SequenceNumber>
<ContributorRole>A01</ContributorRole>
<PersonName>Alok Vaid-Menon</PersonName>
<PersonNameInverted>Vaid-Menon, Alok</PersonNameInverted>
<NamesBeforeKey>Alok</NamesBeforeKey>
<KeyNames>Vaid-Menon</KeyNames>
<BiographicalNote textformat="05">ALOK (they/
them) is a gender non-conforming writer and performance artist. Their 
distinctive style and poetic challenge to the gender binary have been 
internationally renowned. As a mixed-media artist Alok uses poetry,  
prose, comedy, performance, lecture, fashion design, and portraiture to 
explore themes of gender, race, trauma, belonging, and the human  
condition. They are the author of <cite>Femme In Public</cite> and 
<cite>Beyond the Gender Binary</cite>. In 2019 they were honored 
as one of NBC’s Pride 50 and Out Magazine’s OUT 100. They have 
presented their work at 500 venues in more than 40 countries. 
</BiographicalNote>
</Contributor>

YFM – Children’s / Teenage fiction: Relationship stories – Romance, love or
friendship
YXB – Children’s / Teenage personal and social topics: LGBTQ+
YXC – Children’s / Teenage personal and social topics: Gender identity
YXD – Children’s / Teenage personal and social topics: Self-awareness and
self-esteem
YXP – Children’s / Teenage personal and social topics: Diversity and inclusion
1KBC-CA-OSM – Southwestern Ontario: Greater Toronto Area
5AP – Interest age: from c 13 years
5AR – For reluctant struggling readers (children / teenagers)
5PT – Relating to Trans / Transgender people or gender minorities
<Contributor>
<SequenceNumber>1</SequenceNumber>
<ContributorRole>A01</ContributorRole>
<PersonNameInverted>Liang, Bridget</PersonNameInverted>
<BiographicalNote textformat="05">Bridget Liang is a mixed race, 
queer, transfeminine, autistic, disabled, fat fangirl. They came into their queerness in 
Hamilton, Ontario, and co-founded RADAR Youth Group at the LGBTQ Wellness Centre 
(the Well), the first queer group in a Hamilton high school. They were instrumental in 
the passing of an equity policy in the Hamilton Wentworth District School Board. A 
budding academic, community researcher, workshop and group facilitator, performance 
artist, and writer, Bridget has been published in the anthologies <cite>Meanwhile, 
Elsewhere</cite> from Topside Press and <cite>Resilience</cite> from Heartspark Press. 
Much of their work revolves around intersectionality and arts-based research. 
</BiographicalNote>
</Contributor>

<Subject>
<SubjectSchemeIdentifier>20</SubjectSchemeIdentifier>
<SubjectHeadingText language="eng">diaspora; Little Jamaica; immigrants; Black 
culture; Black identity; intersectionality; race and gender; single parent; Eglinton; 
Raptors; friendship; first romance; debut; Caribbean; Jamaican Canadians; 
inclusivity; diversity; female protagonist; first-person narrative; women’s studies;
Canadian fiction; Giller prize; urban fiction</SubjectHeadingText>
</Subject>
FBA – Modern and contemporary fiction
FXN – Narrative theme: Identity / belonging
FXB – Narrative theme: Coming of age
FYB – Short stories
JBCC7 – Cross-cultural studies and topics
1KBC-CA-OSM – Southwestern Ontario: Greater Toronto area
1KJWJ – Jamaica
5PBD – Relating to peoples of African descent
5PBC – Relating to migrant groups / communities

<NameAsSubject>
<NameIdentifier>
<NameIDType>16</NameIDType>
<IDValue>0000000114582724</IDValue>
</NameIdentifier>
<PersonName>Marie-Joseph-Angélique</PersonName>
<AlternativeName>
<NameType>00</NameIDType>
<KeyNames>Angélique</KeyNames>
</AlternativeName>
</NameAsSubject>
NHTS – Slavery and abolition of slavery
NHTB – Social and cultural history
NHK – History of the Americas
1KBC-CA-QMM – Montréal
1QBK-CA-Q – New France
3MLB – Early 18th century c 1700 to c 1750
3MD-CA-A – 1534–1763 (period of New France /
Nouvelle-France)
5PBD – Relating to peoples of African descent

<NameAsSubject>
<PersonName>Kiviuq</PersonName>
<KeyName>Kiviuq</KeyName>
</NameAsSubject>
YFJ – Children’s / Teenage fiction: Traditional stories
YNRU – Children’s / Teenage general interest: Ancient
religion, Mythology and legends
YNXB6 – Children’s / Teenage general interest: Mermaids /
Merfolk
1KBC-CA-K – Nunavut
1MTN – Arctic regions
5AK – Interest age: from c 9 years
5PBA – Relating to indigenous peoples

<NameAsSubject>
<PersonName>Kiviuq</PersonName>
</NameAsSubject>
YFJ – Children’s / Teenage fiction: Traditional stories
YNRU – Children’s / Teenage general interest: Ancient
religion, Mythology and legends
YNXB6 – Children’s / Teenage general interest: Mermaids /
Merfolk
5AK – Interest age: from c 9 years
<CityOfPublication>Iqaluit</CityOfPublication>

<NameAsSubject>
<AlternativeName>
<KeyNames>Qayaq</KeyNames>
</AlternativeName>
<AlternativeName>
<KeyNames>Qooqa</KeyNames>
</AlternativeName>
</NameAsSubject>
JBGB – Folklore, myths and legends
JBSL11 – Indigenous peoples
FNM – Myths and Legends
DBS – Ancient sagas and epics
1FCS – Siberia

<TextContent>
<TextType>02</TextType> 
<ContentAudience>03</ContentAudience> 
<Text textformat="05">There are all kinds of bodies in the world. What are
YOU like? Celebrate our brilliant bodies in this fantastic book jam-packed with
interesting facts. Bodies come in all shapes and sizes as we change from babies
to children to teenagers to adults, our bodies change too! Find out about growing
and learning, keeping fit, breaks and bruises, the five senses, using our minds,
how we are the same and how we are different – and lots more in the fourth book
in the internationally best-selling <cite>Great Big Book</cite> series.</Text>
</TextContent>

<TextContent>
<ContentAudience>02</ContentAudience> 
<Text textformat="05">Hoffman and Asquith explore various questions and more as they build on their
<cite>Great Big Book</cite> series with this celebration of the human body.Their successful formula is
honest, detailed and fact-filled, yet humorous, accessible and thought-provoking. The lively cast of characters is
about as inclusive as you can get – hearing aids, glasses, birthmarks, walking frames, wheelchairs and sign language
all appear in a flawlessly casual and convincing manner.The book also touches subtly but positively on other
facets of diversity, including transgender issues and same-sex parents. Meanwhile, Asquith’s delightful cartoons
and asides ensure plenty of laughs along the way.</Text>
</TextContent>
<TextContent>
<ContentAudience>03</ContentAudience> 
<Text textformat="05">There are all kinds of bodies in the world. What are
YOU like? Celebrate our brilliant bodies in this fantastic book jam-packed with
interesting facts. Bodies come in all shapes and sizes as we change from babies
to children to teenagers to adults, our bodies change too! Find out about growing
and learning, keeping fit, breaks and bruises, the five senses, using our minds,
how we are the same and how we are different – and lots more in the fourth book
in the internationally best-selling <cite>Great Big Book</cite> series.</Text>
</TextContent>

<AudienceDescription textformat="05">Intended for a broad audience, suitable for
parents or schools use. Good for classes with diverse pupils, good resource in libraries,
good title for general public.</AudienceDescription>
<IllustrationsNote textformat="05">Includes 36 full-page colour cartoon-style
illustrations, depicting variety of perfectly believable bodies of all shapes, sizes,
skin tones, moods, clothing , activities, and degrees of mobility.  
</IllustrationsNote>

<TextContent>  
<TextType>09</TextType>  
<ContentAudience>00</ContentAudience>  
<Text textformat="05">‘A genuine voice of the Afro-Latinx community.’</Text> 
<TextAuthor>Alex Ángel</TextAuthor>  
<TextSourceDescription>Director of the Center for Latin American Studies</TextSourceDescription> 
</TextContent>
<TextContent>  
<TextType>06</TextType>  
<ContentAudience>00</ContentAudience>  
<Text textformat="05">‘The writing is elegant and surprisingly humorous, and I found it very easy to 
relate to the characters as my own experience growing up as the child of Afro-Cuban immigrants was
very similar. #OwnVoicesReviews’</Text>  
<TextAuthor>Dani Calderon</TextAuthor>
<TextSourceDescription>Dani Calderon is an Afro-Latinx journalist, book reviewer and 
blogger</<TextSourceDescription> 
<SourceTitle>Bookbloggers</SourceTitle>
</TextContent>

<Prize>  
<PrizeName>Pulitzer Prize</PrizeName>  
<PrizeYear>2010</PrizeYear>  
<PrizeCode>01</PrizeCode>  
<PrizeStatement>Pulitzer Prize for History</PrizeStatement>  
</Prize>
<Prize>
<PrizeName>OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature</PrizeName>
<PrizeYear>2016</PrizeYear>
<PrizeCode>07</PrizeCode> 
</Prize>
<Prize>
<PrizeName>Caine Prize for African Writing</PrizeName>
<PrizeYear>2010</PrizeYear>
<PrizeCode>04</PrizeCode> <!-- Short listed—>
</Prize>

Stonewall Book Award
Arab American Book AwardChildren’s Africana Book Awards
New Voices Award
The Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award
Caine Prize for African Writing
Schneider Family Book Award
International Prize for Arabic Fiction
OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature
John Llewellyn Rhys Prize
European Union Prize for Literature
SI Leeds Literary Prize
Nezahualcóyotl Award of Literature in Indigenous Languages
Pura Belpré Award
Coretta Scott King Award
Lambda Literary Award
Ferro-Grumley Award
Blue Metropolis Violet Prize
Dayne Ogilvie Prize for LGBTQ Emerging Writers
EBRD Literature Prize
The Diverse Book Awards
Burt Award for First Nations, Inuit and Métis Literature
Indigenous Voices AwardsCasa de las Américas Prize

What next?
• as well as BISAC codes, start adding Thema categories and qualifiers
• explore the Thema browser and documentation
• make sure you are making the best use of the contributor information
• work with contributors to make their data relevant and consensual
• look at the marketing material you produce and who it is aimed at
• produce marketing material for diverse audiences
• look at adding more descriptive texts and add these in other
languages
• look at ONIX elements that you may not be using yet
• talk to your trade partners

chris@editeur.org
www.editeur.org

Using Thema and ONIX to boost discoverability

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