A good thesaurus is more than a list of terms. It is a content structure that helps describe collections consistently, connect concepts and give users better access to objects, images, documents and stories. This is especially valuable in heritage collections, where terminology has often grown historically and may differ by subcollection or registration practice. We support institutions in developing a full thesaurus that fits their own collection practice and is prepared for future expansion. By making the thesaurus available through the NDE Term Network, it also becomes part of a broader heritage information infrastructure.

We help you develop a full thesaurus that can serve as a content backbone for collection management, metadata enrichment, digital access and knowledge sharing. We inventory existing terms from records, documentation and workflows, structure concepts and record relationships between broader, narrower and related terms.

The thesaurus is built modularly. This means the structure is not static, but designed for expansion and further development. New terms, domains, object types or thematic areas can be added later without losing existing coherence.

Where relevant, we connect to existing terminology standards and sources, such as AAT, GGT or other shared vocabularies. This improves exchangeability and strengthens the position of the thesaurus within broader heritage networks.

A well-structured thesaurus helps connect terms, objects, themes and contexts across systems and collections. It contributes to better findability, more consistency in description and richer access to heritage information for researchers, collection managers and the public.

A thesaurus is therefore not only a tool for ordering terms, but also a sustainable instrument for description, management, research and presentation.

Thesaurus