UDC Consortium (UDCC)

What is the UDCC?

The UDC Consortium (UDCC) is a self-funded, non-profit organization established to direct the development and dissemination of the Universal Decimal Classification in the best interests of its users. The Consortium was founded by the International Federation for Documentation (FID) and the publishers of the Dutch, English, French, Japanese and Spanish editions. The Consortium assumed ownership of the Universal Decimal Classification on 1 January 1992.

What do we do?

The Consortium has strategic, managerial and promotional responsibilities related to the UDC. It appoints an editorial team and advisory board with international membership to oversee the content of the scheme and contribute to its regular revision in order to reflect new knowledge. The specific activities of the Consortium involve:

  • maintenance and distribution of the authorised version of the UDC: UDC Master Reference File
  • publishing of the UDC schedules and textbooks
  • supporting the UDC publishers worldwide through provision of publishing licences and licence grants, data services, translation services, consultancy and marketing
  • supporting UDC users by answering UDC-related queries, publishing and communicating documentation, updates and news
  • participation, promotion and support of UDC research
  • supporting UDC education and training through collaboration with library schools and provision of UDC data for training and teaching
  • organization of regular international events bringing together scholars as well as practitioners from diverse background to exchange expertise on all matters of knowledge organisation
  • curation and preservation of the UDC legacy through archiving, collecting and digitizing UDC documentation and publications
Day to day administration and management of UDCC activities rests with the UDCC office whose headquarters are in the Koninklijke Bibliotheek in The Hague.

Who are we?

Members of the Consortium are:

The Consortium is managed by an Executive Committee.

UDCC Chair: Irena Sešek (Slovenia)
UDCC Vice-Chair: Ana Stevanović (Serbia)
UDC Editor-in-Chief: Aida Slavic, (UK)

The development and the maintenance of the UDC content is the responsibility of the UDC Editorial Team, consisting of associate editors and coordinated by the editor-in-chief. Work on the revision and development of the scheme is done in cooperation with the UDC Advisory Board, an international body of classification specialists.

Join the Consortium

Organizations wishing to publish or act as an (inter) national distributor of the UDC in a certain language can join the Consortium as exclusive, regular or associate members. Each type of membership comes with a set of benefits that secure not only a cost-effective and simplified UDC distribution but also an option to directly influence Consortium policy.

To learn more about the Consortium membership scheme, membership fee and benefits contact the UDCC office.