What are some best practices for creating and maintaining controlled vocabularies for your digital library?

2 Choose or create a suitable vocabulary

Depending on your scope and purpose, you may decide to use an existing vocabulary, create your own, or combine both. Existing vocabularies, such as thesauri, ontologies, or taxonomies, can save you time and effort, and ensure interoperability and standardization. However, they may not cover all your topics, or reflect your specific context and perspective. In that case, you may need to create your own vocabulary, or adapt and extend an existing one. You can use tools and methods, such as card sorting, keyword analysis, or user testing, to identify and organize your terms.

3 Apply consistent and clear rules

Once you have your vocabulary, you need to apply it consistently and clearly to your content. You should follow some basic rules, such as using singular nouns, avoiding abbreviations and acronyms, and choosing preferred terms over synonyms or variants. You should also document your rules and decisions, and provide definitions and examples for your terms. This will help you and your users understand and use your vocabulary correctly.

4 Link and align your vocabulary

Your vocabulary is not an isolated entity, but part of a larger semantic network. You should link and align your vocabulary with other vocabularies, both within and outside your digital library. This will enhance the discoverability and usability of your content, and enable cross-referencing and integration with other sources. You can use techniques, such as mapping, matching, or linking, to establish relationships between your terms and other vocabularies.

5 Review and update your vocabulary

Your vocabulary is not a static product, but a dynamic process. You should review and update your vocabulary regularly, to reflect changes in your content, users, and environment. You should monitor and evaluate the performance and feedback of your vocabulary, and identify any gaps, errors, or inconsistencies. You should also keep track of new developments and trends in your domain, and incorporate new terms or concepts as needed.

6 Share and reuse your vocabulary

Your vocabulary is not only a valuable asset for your digital library, but also a potential resource for others. You should share and reuse your vocabulary, to increase its visibility and impact, and to contribute to the knowledge community. You should make your vocabulary accessible and discoverable, by publishing it online, using open formats and standards, and providing metadata and documentation. You should also encourage and support the reuse of your vocabulary, by licensing it appropriately, and providing guidance and feedback.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?