The Estonian Subject Thesaurus (EMS) is is a universal controlled vocabulary in Estonian for indexing and searching books, periodicals, articles, printed music, sound recordings, maps and other items.
EMS includes over 61 000 preferred and nonpreferred terms (synonyms). A detailed overview is given by EMS in figures. The subject thesaurus also contains place names, but does not contain personal names or names of institutions and organisations. Changes in the EMS can be seen in real time.
Search syntax: https://ems.elnet.ee/teenus.php?vorming=M&sona=[otsingusõna] Search example: https://ems.elnet.ee/teenus.php?vorming=M&sona=kaubamärgid Format: Human-readable MARC21: Search syntax: https://ems.elnet.ee/teenus.php?vorming=i&sona=[otsingusõna] Search example: https://ems.elnet.ee/teenus.php?vorming=i&sona=kaubamärgid Format: MarcXML: Search syntax: https://ems.elnet.ee/teenus.php?vorming=X&sona=[otsingusõna] Search example: https://ems.elnet.ee/teenus.php?vorming=X&sona=kaubamärgid Format: Multiple words keywords: Search syntax: https://ems.elnet.ee/teenus.php?vorming=I&sona=[otsingusõna]+[otsingusõna] Search example: https://ems.elnet.ee/teenus.php?vorming=I&sona=asutuste+arhiivid
All keywords containing a string (truncation mark %): Search syntax: https://ems.elnet.ee/teenus.php?vorming=I&sona=%[otsingusõna]% Search example: https://ems.elnet.ee/teenus.php?vorming=I&sona=%arhiiv%
A field (except 00X fields) consists of the field number, two indicator positions and subfields for data content. An empty indicator position is designated with a slash. A subfield symbol consists of the sign $ and a letter or figure. The major elements are briefly introduced here, read more at https://www.loc.gov/marc/authority/ecadhome.html
LDR leader, e.g. 00000nza2200000n%00
001 control digit which is EMS ID, e.g. EMS167171
003 code of control digit issuer ErEMS
008 fixed-length field for various encoded information, the 6 first digits indicate the time of compiling the records yymmdd, e.g. 130823|n|anznnbabn||n|
040 data of compiling the records, not varying: $aErEMS$best$cErEMS$fems
072 7 number of subject field in EMS where the word belongs, and EMS code, e.g. $a53$2ems
The field may repeat
150 authorised topical index terms, e.g. $ainfokeskkond
151 authorised geographic index term, e.g. $aAbja-Paluoja
155 authorised form term, e.g. $aõigusaktid
450, 451, 455 nonpreferred terms (synonyms) for authorised subject terms, e.g.
450 $ainforuum; 451 $aAbja; 455 $anormatiivaktid
450, 451, 455 9 English-language equivalents, e.g. 450 9 $ainformation environment;
451 9 $aNarva river; 455 9 $alegal acts
550, 551, 555 related subject terms and their URIs at subfield $0
$wg – broader term
$wh – narrower term
$w missing – other semantic connection
e.g.
150 $aalalõualuu
450 $amandibula
450 9$amandible
550 $wg$alõualuud$0https://ems.elnet.ee/id/EMS029481
550 $wh$aalalõuapõnt$0https://ems.elnet.ee/id/EMS149978
550 $aalalõualiiges$0https://ems.elnet.ee/id/EMS147267
670 source, e.g. $aRegio Eesti Teede Atlas, Regio, 1998.
680 explanation with the subfield symbol $i, e.g. $iIsikute, a set of organisations and systems that collect, process and disseminate information. Includes information itself
The thesaurus is updated once a month and can be downloaded both in MARC21 format UTF-8 coding (for importing into library systems) and as a MARCXML file.
MARC21 -> https://ems.elnet.ee/full_export.mrc
MARCXML -> https://ems.elnet.ee/full_export.zip