Regensburger Verbundklassifikation (RVK)

The RVK is a classification scheme for academic libraries. In the 1960s the University of Regensburg Library developed the RVK as an in-house classification scheme for its own extensive holdings on the open shelves. Since then the RVK evolved step by step into a classification which is currently developed cooperatively by a network of 130 academic libraries and institutions in Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, which classify and/or set up their holdings completely or in parts according to the RVK and use it as an instrument for cooperative subject indexing.

The University Library of Regensburg maintains the RVK as a tool for the organization of knowledge with regard to its technical and organizational requirements.

In addition to the RVK community, numerous other libraries apply the RVK, which is available under CC0 license. The Regensburg Classification Network is now the largest classification network in the German-speaking world (as of October 2024).

In the RVK Portal, users will find the fullest information on the RVK. A central service is the online-version of the RVK, the RVK-Online. The development of RVK-Online began in 1994. Today it is a modern research tool. In a BlueSpice MediaWiki the community cooperatively operates the content expansion of the RVK. A discussion platform in the Wiki offers space for exchange and communication. The subject register is further developed in a special interface.

In addition to the “RVK Fachkoordination” (subject coordination), which is located at the University Library of Regensburg, the RVK is managed by the “RVK-Beirat” (advisory board) and the “RVK Fachgruppen” (subject specialist groups). The “RVK-Fachgruppen” deal with issues of the 34 subject classifications. The “Beirat” deals with issues that are superordinate to all subject classifications, e.g. strategic planning or considerations regarding structure and organization. Through publications in the RVK Portal, through quarterly newsletters and annual user meetings, the users are informed about all innovations and developments.

An update of the RVK database takes place quarterly. The subscribing systems, e.g. the library networks, ZDB or ExLibris ALMA, will be provided with update deliveries in MARC-XML on a quarterly basis.