2026 Update to the BISAC Subject Codes List

Join CONNIE HARBISON, Chair of BISG’s Subject Codes Committee, for an in-depth look at the 2026 update to the BISAC Subject Code List—the industry standard for classifying book content in the North American market.

This annual webinar provides essential guidance to help you navigate and implement the new subject codes effectively. Connie will walk you through the most significant updates to the 2026 list including:

• Key changes from the 2025 edition
• Emerging trends that shaped the latest revisions
• How and why updates are made, including the collaborative committee process
• Best practices for applying the 2026 codes with confidence across your publishing, retail, and metadata workflows

Whether you're a publisher, retailer, or metadata professional, this session will help you apply the 2026 codes with confidence.

BISG's Subject Codes will prepare a summary of proposed changes to the BISAC Subject Code list to share with attendees.

THANK YOU to the members of the BISG Subject Codes Committee for their hard work and commitment—especially under the steady leadership of Chair Connie Harbison—in preparing the proposed updates to the BISAC Subject Code list. Your dedication to reviewing categories, refining descriptions, and ensuring the BISAC list remains a vital, accurate, and widely trusted component of the publishing supply chain is deeply appreciated.

CONNIE HARBISON has worked in the book industry for more than three decades. She began her career as a trade book buyer at a Barnes & Noble college bookstore and later spent thirteen years at R.R. Bowker, specializing in data integration and quality. She subsequently served for more than twenty years as Director of Quality Assurance at Baker & Taylor. She is currently a Metadata Specialist at Phoenix International Publications.

Since 2004, Connie has served as chair of the BISAC Subject Committee. She holds both a B.A. and an M.A. in English Literature from The Catholic University of America, as well as an M.L.S. from Rutgers University. She is also a certified School Library Media Specialist and is currently pursuing a Master of Professional Studies in Publishing at George Washington University.