CHICAGO/GREAT LAKES CHAPTER, ASI
October 24 & 25, 2008
Fall Workshops Featuring Enid Zafran, John Wean, and Do Mi Stauber

Hilton Garden Inn
2930 South River Road, Des Plaines, IL 60018

Friday, October 24:
Editing an Index (Enid Zafran)

Editing the index is more than just looking for errors. Enid Zafran, a well-known indexer who writes a column for Key Words on indexing style, will draw from her extensive experience to present a program on the ins and outs of editing the index. She will also include an exercise for actually editing an index.

Friday, October 24:
The Publishing Process (John Wean)

Publishing cycles: Do you really know what happens? What is the role of the indexer in the book production process? These questions and more will be answered by John Wean, Vice President of Educational Publishing Services, of the Black Dot Group in Crystal Lake, Illinois.

Saturday, October 25:
Taming the Wild Project List: Organizing Tools for the Complex Life (Do Mi Stauber)

This new workshop by Do Mi Stauber, author of Facing the Text: Content and Structure in Book Indexing, is designed to help the busy freelance professional. This will be the first time Do Mi will present the full-day version of her new workshop.

Indexers, in fact all freelancers, are notorious for the complexity of their lives. Besides juggling multiple professional deadlines and managing the usual home and community responsibilities, they tend to be deeply involved in many other creative interests.

Popular workshop presenter Do Mi Stauber, a connoisseur of time management systems for many years, has found a combination of organizing tools that enables her to excel in many areas of her multifaceted life. Her new participatory workshop provides participants with a toolkit for managing daily tasks, deadlines, multiple ongoing projects, and creative new ideas.

Various strategies will be covered in this full-day workshop, including

• A flexible task organization system that promotes calm and clarity by creating conceptual homes for all of your tasks, projects, and ideas?
• Mindmapping techniques for brainstorming, planning, and collecting information, using the natural strengths of the creative brain?
• Strategies for welcoming multiple interests and projects, and integrating them into a sane and balanced life.

A complete workshop brochure, including specific details, hotel information, registration costs, and more will be posted in the summer on our chapter Web site at http://www.chicagogreatlakesindexers.org/events.html. We look forward to seeing you in Chicago in October.

Florida Indexers are pleased to recommend…
 
Space Tech Chapter of STC
April Program Meeting
Date: Wednesday 23 April 2008
Time: Networking 6:00-6:30 pm Program 6:30-8:00
Location: Piccadilly Cafeteria Meeting Room
Melbourne Square Mall
1700 W. New Haven (US Highway 192)
Melbourne, FL 32904
Presentation: Creating Web A-Z Indexes
Speaker: Heather Hedden

About the Presentation: An A-Z site index for a Web site, sub-site, or intranet can be a useful tool. As Web sites grow in size and complexity, users need additional means beyond the navigational menu and a site map to search for the information they want. Unless a site is very large, an onsite search engine often does not retrieve satisfactory results. Browsable A-Z indexes, a format familiar to users from the back of books, can provide highly accurate retrieval. Index entries are hyperlinked to the desired text within a Web page or to an anchored point within the page. This presentation will explain when and where an A-Z index is the best option for site searching, the basics of how to create a hyperlinked index, and what software tools are available.

About the Speaker: Heather Hedden is an information taxonomist with Viziant Corporation in Boston and a freelance book and Web site indexer through Hedden Information Management. Previously she worked as a controlled vocabulary editor with Gale (formerly Information Access Company). Heather teaches online workshops in Web site indexing and taxonomies through the continuing education program of Simmons College Graduate School of Library and Information Science and has given numerous live conference workshops on Web site indexing. In 2007 she published the book Indexing Specialties: Web Sites through ASI and Information Today Inc. She has also published many articles on the subject.

For more information on the topic or speaker visit www.hedden-information.com

Space Tech Chapter of STC Website: www.stc-spacetech.org

Soft drinks and light refreshments will be served.

"Apples and Oranges: Exploring the Commonalities and Differences of Indexing Niches"
A workshop led by Sylvia Coates

August 16, 2008
10:00 AM to 12:30 PM
Orinda Community Center, Room 7
26 Orinda Way, Orinda, CA 94563
Cost: $30.00 for ASI members; $40.00 for nonmembers
Pre-registration is required

If you specialize in indexing a particular field or type of publication, your work practices may differ from those of other indexers. Yet some aspects of indexing are surprisingly uniform, regardless of your professional "niche." This workshop will explore the commonalities and differences found in the indexing process of various indexing niches.

First, we will cover the commonalities. The basic indexing processes of thematic term selection and constructing the index structure are the same throughout scholarly, textbook, tradebook, and embedded indexing.

Next, our focus will turn to the substantial differences in the audience, scheduling, and format specifications required by different types of presses and texts: university press indexing, non-university scholarly indexing, textbook indexing, tradebook indexing, and technical documentation indexing.

We will end with a discussion of the financial and career-development implications of these commonalities and differences.

The workshop’s primary objective will be to facilitate the ability to interact and work with different client types and to expand your client base and increase your income.

OPTIONAL LUNCH: After the workshop, please join us for a Dutch-treat lunch at Metro Lafayette restaurant, 3524 Mt. Diablo Blvd. www.metrolafayette.com, a five-minute drive from Orinda Community Center. We can carpool to and from the restaurant, so BART commuters need not worry about transportation.

PRE-REGISTRATION: Send a check, payable to GGASI, in the amount of $30.00 (ASI members) or $40.00 (nonmembers) to Theresa Duran, 60 Scenic Road, Fairfax, CA 94930. Checks must be received by August 12. Please specify whether you plan to attend the luncheon and whether you need a ride or can give others a ride. Please also include your e-mail address so you can be sent confirmation of your registration.

SYLVIA COATES has been a full-time freelance indexer since 1989. Her indexing clients include both university and non-university scholarly presses, as well as medical, textbook, and tradebook presses. Sylvia began teaching indexing in 1999. In 2004, she developed the UC Berkeley Extension Indexing course, which was the 2005 recipient of the Distance Learning Community of Practice Award from UCEA (University Continuing Education Association) for excellence in curriculum. She also currently serves as one of the three, soon to be four, instructors of this course. In addition to writing the UC Berkeley Extension course, Sylvia is the author of multiple articles on indexing.

For more information, contact goldengate@asindexing.org.

Fall 2008 Meeting
Heartland Chapter, American Society for Indexing
Saturday, October 4, 2008
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Richmond, Indiana

Presenting: Kari Kells
“Dancing on Cobwebs: Weaving Patterns With Our Indexing Decisions”

In this workshop we will examine the variety of approaches that indexers use to implement indexing principles. We will focus primarily on the Metatopic and creating Multiple Access Points, yet other indexing principles are sure to make an appearance as they are intertwined in our decision-making.

Participants will be asked to index a text and send the index to Kari in advance of the workshop. Once you have registered, you will be sent details about completing the indexing assignment. We encourage you to register early so that you have ample time to complete your index. The official registration flyer will be available in mid-August. The more indexes submitted in advance, the more interesting and lively our discussion will be. (Please note: submitted indexes will not be judged, graded, or marked. Anonymity will be maintained. All names will be removed from indexes before they are shared with other participants.)

For nearly 15 years, Kari Kells has enjoyed teaching indexing through Index West (her freelance indexing business), the Graduate School (USDA), and at several universities in the Pacific Northwest. In 2005, Inside Indexing, a book she co-authored with Sherry Smith, was published. (More information about the book is available at www.InsideIndexing.com.) Kari has served ASI at the national level as one of the two original ASI web authors and by founding and serving on the Web Committee for its first three years. She was also a founding member of the Pacific Northwest chapter of ASI and has held a variety of officer positions in that chapter. In her spare time, she works on home improvement projects, creates altered books, and tries not to adopt any more cats from the cat rescue organization where she volunteers (www.Feline-Friends.net). More information about Kari can be found on her web site (www.indexw.com).

$40 - ASI members
$45 - non-members who have been to a Heartland meeting previously
$35 - first-time attendees (members and non-members)

Registration: The Heartland meeting is open to all ASI members and non-members who are interested in indexing. Registration for this meeting will begin in August. Please check the Heartland website for more information or contact Devon Thomas at d.thomas1@comcast.net

Kansas-Missouri Group St. Louis Meeting
Thursday, Nov. 8, 2007
6:30 pm

St. Louis Bread Company
147 Westport Plaza
(314) 579-0506

RSVP to Steven Falk, steven.falk@sbcglobal.net

Which Path Did You Follow? Understanding our Index Decision-Making is a workshop led by two of America’s acknowledged indexing experts, Sherry Smith and Kari Kells. This participatory workshop is based on the fascinating phenomenon that all indexes for the same text will differ. Without knowing who wrote what, workshop participants will explore the decisions apparent in each other's indexes.

Prior the workshop, Kari and Sherry will select anonymous examples from the submitted indexes that offer discussion opportunities. They will focus on the primary principles of indexing and how we handled them in the indexes: making decisions about readers; identifying the metatopic; analyzing the text; determining the appropriate level of detail; gathering scattered and similar information; remaining consistent with depth, structure, and wording; providing multiple access routes; and phrasing entries for brevity and usefulness.

This workshop is designed for indexers who are familiar with indexing terms and have completed an indexing project. Practice indexes and course assignments do count!

Register early as the homework for this workshop is due well before the workshop begins! You will be asked to prepare an index for a short text and your index must be submitted to allow sufficient time for Kari and Sherry’s professional analysis before the workshop.

Discounted registrations are due by February 22, 2008. Assigned index homework is due March 10, 2008.

Directions to the Bethesda Service Center: Metro fare to the Bethesda Station, on Metro’s Red Line, is $2-/+ one-way from most other Metro stations. Find Metro information at www.wmata.com . From I495, take the Wisconsin Avenue exit south toward Bethesda. Just past the campus of the National Institutes of Health, on your right, and the Naval Medical Center, on your left, veer right onto Woodmont Road. Follow Woodmont Road for several blocks, moving into the left lane. After you cross Old Georgetown Road, turn left into the parking garage of our building. If you miss the garage entrance, try to make the next left turn onto Edgemoor Lane. There is another garage entrance on Edgemoor Lane. Parking should be free on Saturday, but bring some quarters just in case

Please go to the Chapter website (www.msasindexing.org) for more information about the location, and for travel and housing options. You can download a registration form there as well.

Joint Meeting of the New England Chapter for the American Society for Indexing (NEASI) and the Central Massachusetts Chapter of the Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA)

"An Evening of Networking: A Facilitated Discussion About Networking"
    Wednesday, June 25, 2008
    7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
    Randall Library, 19 Crescent Street, Stow, MA

The evening's program includes brief presentations by Jean Jesensky, President of the NEASI, and Eileen Kramer, Coordinator of the Central Mass. Chapter of the EFA, about their respective organizations. Click here for additional details, contact information, and directions.

**************

HOLD THIS DATE! You won't want to miss the NEASI Fall 2008 Conference in Sturbridge, MA: Saturday, October 4, 2008.
Check our website soon for more information.

New York City Chapter
of the
American Society for Indexing

Indexing James Joyce

Wednesday, March 19, 2008 at 6:30
Jefferson Market Library auditorium
425 Avenue of the Americas [at 10th St.]

free to everybody

In celebration of St. Patrick's Day, the New York City Chapter of the American Society for Indexing announces our March meeting. Charlee Trantino will present a talk about her 2006 Wilson award index to A Skeleton Key to Finnegans Wake: Unlocking James Joyce’s Masterwork, by Joseph Campbell and Henry Morton Robinson.

When the stream-of-consciousness–style Finnegans Wake was published in 1939, critics called it "unintelligible." Others, such as Joseph Campbell, wanted to figure it out. Joseph Campbell and poet Henry Morton Robinson's A Skeleton Key was the first guide to Joyce's masterwork. It solved many of the puzzles Joyce presented, but earlier editions had no index. The elegance of the index and its appropriateness for the work and for its scholarly audience are what make it an exemplar. Charlee will discuss how she constructed this index for this new standard in literary criticism.

Pacific Northwest Chapter, ASI

Fall 2008 Meeting

Saturday, August 23, 2008, 8 a.m.–6 p.m.
Bastyr University
14500 Juanita Drive
Kenmore, Washington

Trends in Indexing: the Long Tail or the End of the Tale?
Presenter: Jan Wright
In this session Jan will be talking about being at the end of the line, but she doesn't mean indexing as a profession is going away. Come hear how niches, maniacs, money, time, and space are going to affect how we get work, and who is going to get indexing done in a Google and NetFlix age. Jan will bring together ideas and theories from indexing and non-indexing sources. A lively discussion will be included.

Jan Wright has been indexing since 1991, and has a background as a librarian and as a book production specialist. She has worked on indexes, taxonomies, controlled vocabularies, and knows most of the page layout packages that are used to create books these days. She specializes in embedded and technical indexing, and has used everything from Cindex to Excel to XML to create retrievable indexing.

How are PDFs used in indexing?
A panel discussion with Ed Rush, Carolyn Weaver, Jan Wright and Enid Zafran, moderated by Cheryl Landes.
Learn how portable document files (PDFs) are used in a variety of index subject areas.

Legal Indexing Workshop
Presenter: Enid Zafran.
This three-hour workshop will explain how legal indexes differ from other indexes and review the steps in creating a legal index, including term selection. Special types of cross-references that are expected in legal indexing will be covered. Treatment of cases, especially the rules that govern their sorting, will be described.

Enid has headed the in-house departments of two legal publishers and has worked with all the major U.S. legal publishers, as well as with state and federal government agencies. Workshop attendees will benefit from her extensive experience in training legal indexers and will learn from hands-on exercises.

Other activities:

• Opportunities to network and discuss indexing with your peers
• Friday informal dinner gathering (not included in registration fee)
• Saturday dinner gathering (not included in registration fee)
• Sunday morning Board Meeting

Hotel information:
We have reserved a block of rooms at the Baymont Hotel, which is 5.4 miles east of Bastyr University. The rates are $86 per room plus tax for one king bed and $88 per room plus tax for two queen beds. The rate includes free Internet access and a free continental breakfast. Two restaurants - a coffee/sandwich shop open for breakfast and lunch only and a Shari's that's open 24 hours - are in the hotel's parking lot.

To take advantage of these rates, reserve your room by August 1. After that, the regular hotel rates will apply. Call the number below to make your reservation, as these rates will not be granted if you go through Baymont's Web site. Tell reservations that you're with the "Pacific Northwest Chapter" to receive the discounted rates.
     Baymont Hotel
     12223 NE 116th Street
     Kirkland, WA 98034
     (425) 822-2300

The registration packet is now available for downloading as a PDF file from the chapter website at http://www.pnwasi.org/mtgnext.htm. For the lowest fees, your registration must be received by Sunday, August 10.

The Pittsburgh Group is trying to form again.  We had a small but successful initial meeting on Sat., January 20, 2007, at the home of Susan Cohen.  Diana Witt, ASI's Chapter Liaison, came and gave an extremely useful talk on Time Management. She then spoke on ideas to build up our chapter, and gave us several useful suggestions about other organizations to contact for potential future collaborations.

Anyone interested in finding out more about this group should contact Susan Solomon.

Rocky Mountain Chapter of ASI
Summer Meeting
Saturday, June 21, 2008
10:00 am–3:00 pm

Castle Rock Public Library
100 S. Wilcox Street
Castle Rock, Colorado

Getting Started as a Freelance Indexer: Madge Walls will begin this round-table discussion by sharing her first year experiences about all the things she did to get the ball rolling, and what she learned along the way. This will be an informal discussion inviting questions and comments from the floor as it goes along.

Editing an Index: A panel discussion with Lucie Haskins, Marilyn Anderson, Sara Lynn Eastler, and Doreen McLaughlin. These four experienced indexers will share some of their tips and tricks for editing, both during the index process and with the final draft index. Each panelist will share their editing process and then we will open the floor for questions.

Program:
10:00–10:30: Check-in and networking
10:30–12:00: Getting Started as a Freelance Indexer
12:00–1:00: Potluck Lunch
1:00–3:00: Editing an Index Panel Discussion

There is no charge for this valuable educational and networking opportunity. However, we would ask that you provide a dish to share for lunch and RSVP to Madge Walls (Madge@allskyindexing.com) so she can plan appropriate seating and beverages. We will provide coffee, tea, bottled water, and a morning snack. Also contact Madge for any additional questions.

The SOUTH CENTRAL CHAPTER of ASI
ANNOUNCES ITS FALL 2007 MEETING

Saturday, November 3, 2007
8:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
The Woodlands, Texas

Our program will be in three parts:

Wilson Award of 2007. Kay Banning, Wilson Award Committee Chair, Joanne Sprott, a Wilson Award Committee judge, and Ellen Todd Hanks, a first time Wilson Award Committee judge, will discuss the process and criteria that were used to determine this year's winner.

Peer Index Review. Kay Schlembach will speak on the guidelines used by ASI Lesson Evaluators in reviewing submitted indexes. Attendees will then review indexes in a small group setting. Each group will be moderated by an experienced indexer. After all groups have had their opportunity to review, groups will combine to share their findings. All attendees are encouraged to submit indexes for review, either their own or one that they select. Additional details will be provided via email to each attendee.

It's Anniversary Party Time. ASI is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year and our Chapter is celebrating as well. Please come and help us celebrate. We will honor our founders and look at our history.

Where:

Woodlands (South Montgomery) Community Center

2235 Lake Robbins Drive (Lake Robbins at Grogan's Mill)

The Woodlands, TX 77380

For registrations received prior to October 19, 2007

ASI members: $45.00

Students (with proof): $35.00

Non-ASI members: $55.00

Late registration fees received after October 19, 2007

ASI members: $55.00

Students (with proof): $45.00

Non-ASI members: $65.00

NOTE: Bottled water, juice, continental breakfast and a boxed lunch are included in the registration fee. (A Starbucks and HEB with coffee bar are located nearby.)

For registrations received prior to October 19, 2007

ASI members: $45.00

Students (with proof): $35.00

Non-ASI members: $55.00

Late registrations received after October 19, 2007

Add $10.00

Paul Hightower

PO Box 101028

Fort Worth, TX 76185

Twin Cities ASI Chapter Meeting
Saturday, March 8, 2008, 9:00 AM

Location
Classroom 234
William Mitchell Law College
875 Summit Avenue, St. Paul
(see driving directions below)

Meeting Agenda
9:00–9:30: Registration and Networking
9:30–10:00: Brief Chapter business meeting and announcements
10:00–12:00: Program—Website Indexes
12:00–Drawing for door prizes! And, for those interested, lunch at a nearby restaurant

Website Indexes
Once considered a rather archaic approach to providing organizational pointers to web content, indexes are becoming a more common element of website design. Also called A–Z topics, online indexes, or site indexes, this approach can provide as useful a function as back-of-book indexes, provided they are based on good indexing practice. This presentation will discuss which indexing precepts translate well to the web, what is different from back-of-book or other traditional indexing, and some examples.

Eileen Quam is a librarian and information architect at the Minnesota Office of Enterprise Technology. In this role she provides guidance in organizing the State web portal (soon to become Minnesota.gov) and agency websites, and in implementing document management systems. She is adjunct faculty at St. Catherine's Graduate School of Library and Information Science, teaching coursework in indexing, abstracting, and metadata. She has been a freelance indexer since the 1980s, particularly in the realms of academic and legal publishing.

*** While supplies last, Indexes: A Chapter from CMS 15 will be available for purchase at the meeting at a 20% discount from publisher's price.

Driving directions
From I-94 take the Lexington Parkway exit. Turn right on Lexington Parkway and continue to Summit Avenue. Turn left on Summit Avenue and continue to Victoria. (William Mitchell is on your left). Turn left on Victoria and left into parking lot.

Security instructions
On weekends the College locks all doors and requires non-WM visitors to enter through the front doors (by the flagpole) and to sign in at the visitor's desk.

Questions
Call Galen Schroeder (office: 701-298-6304; cell: 701-541-0055)
or e-mail at: galenschroeder@msn.com

Reminder
Every meeting is a networking opportunity. Bring business cards to share!!!

Western New York ASI Chapter—Spring Meeting
Friday, April 4, 2008

Join us for a brief tour and overview of Thomson/West's operation in Rochester, NY. Thomson/West is a legal publishing firm with one of their offices in Rochester.

We'll meet at Thomson/West for a tour of their operation in the morning. Lyle Warren, one of our chapter members who works at Thomson/West, has graciously arranged for us to have lunch onsite after the tour. After lunch, we will have an informal panel discussion with legal indexers, attorney-editors, and others.

Thomson/West is located in downtown Rochester at:
50 E. Broad St
Rochester, NY 14694
(585) 546-5530
http://west.thomson.com

Agenda:

• 10:45 AM – meet in front entrance of Thomson/West at 50 Broad St
• 11 AM to 12 PM – tour of Thomson/West facility
• 12 PM to 1 PM – lunch at Thomson/West
• 1 PM to 1:30 PM – panel discussion
• 1:30 PM to 2 PM – chapter meeting

Cost: $10

Space is limited! Reserve your spot by sending a check , made out to Western NY Chapter of ASI, to:

Judy Kip
3 Courtly Circle
Owego, NY 13827

Questions? Contact: Peg Mauer (pmauer2004@yahoo.com), 518-359-8616 or Judy Kip (judithkip@earthlink.net), 
607-687-0993.

Directions to Thomson/West: Click on this link: http://tinyurl.com/23uomq or cut and paste the URL into your browser. 

There are only two hotels within walking distance of Thomson/West, but they are both kind of expensive.

Clarion Riverside Hotel (0.3 miles)
www.clarionriversidehotel.com/
800-916-4614

Hyatt Regenecy Rochester (0.3 miles, but about $180/night)
www.Hyatt.com
866-226-6223

There are many more reasonable rooms available a bit further out. See www.hotels.com