ASI News
—Take a trivia break on the Playground
—Interesting sessions in interesting times
—Vote by April 10
—Spring Key Words is out
—Catch replays of valuable webinar series
—New training course open for registration
—Take the reins as Key Words editor
Chapters and SIGS
—Gardening SIG has a new webmaster
—Chapter get-together planned
Associated Industry News
—Enjoy the conference!
To Your Health
—A word about sleeping…
Spotlight on Heather Dubnick
ASI News
Take a trivia break on the Playground
Join ASI colleagues on April 22, 2026, for the next Indexing Playground, which starts at 10 a.m. Pacific/1 p.m. Eastern time.
The Playgrounds are an opportunity for ASI members to informally gather online with peers and connect and share ideas about indexing and running a business—or just relax.
The Zoom call will be divided into three breakout rooms. You can join one and stay or slide in and out of them as you please. The theme is Trivia Hour, and rooms for this playground are:
General Concepts: General knowledge trivia
Preferred Terms: Word-related trivia
Recess: Digital sandbox with no agenda
No registration is necessary. ASI members will receive a link before April 22.
Interesting sessions in interesting times
ASI’s annual conference, “Indexing in Interesting Times: Strategies for Thriving Amid Chaos” is taking shape. The virtual conference will be held on Wednesday, June 10, and Thursday, June 11, 2026
The conference programming and sessions will be designed to help professional indexers (both seasoned and new) hone their skills as well as focus on preparing for an uncertain future.
Sessions include:
“Indexing in the Era of AI”: Indexing in the era of AI requires that professional indexers have a clear understanding of AI’s capabilities and limitations so we can advocate effectively for our value. This presentation by Elizabeth Bartmess and Michele Combs provides data-grounded suggestions for how indexers can respond if asked what they offer over AI and if asked to edit an AI-generated index.
“Meditation Practices for Care of the Body, Spirit, and Mind”: If indexing in the era of artificial intelligence makes you angsty, meditate! Mary Stevens will lead this session. You will learn some tools for relaxing your body and refreshing and sharpening your mind, practice paying attention to your physical and emotional needs in the moment, and discover which types of meditations you might want to incorporate into your work day.
Conference Committee chair Connie Binder welcomes ideas and presenters, so reach out to conference2026@asindexing.org as soon as possible. Watch for details on registering for the conference.
Vote by April 10
If you haven’t already done so, remember to vote by April 10 for ASI’s candidates for positions on the Board of Directors.
The nominees are:
President-elect: Judy Staigmiller
Secretary: Vickie Jacobs
Directors-at-Large: Jessica Siddiqi and Heather Dubnick
A ballot and full information about the candidates is available via this link. ASI members need to log in to access the candidate page and ballot.
Newly elected candidates take office at ASI’s Annual General Meeting on Friday, May 15, 2026.
Spring Key Words is out
Want to learn about indexing bird field guides? Check out the spring issue of Key Words. Become more proficient in indexing East Asian names (by Scott Smiley) or mathematics (by Sanjiv Kumar Sinha). Maria Sullivan offers Cindex users software tips and tricks in “Getting Acquainted with Cindex” (Index Zero column).
Catch replays of valuable webinar series
Decisions, decisions, decisions. Indexers make hundreds of these while creating each index. In the March webinar series “Structural Elements: A Deeper Look Into Structure,” Joan Shapiro, Gina Guilinger, and Devon Thomas gave attendees guidance in making some of those decisions. The three sessions were: “Indexing Whatchamacallits and Thingamajigs,” “Beginnings and Endings,” and “Beyond the Book.”
These engaging speakers shared their expertise and experience in: teasing out concrete and abstract references; identifying what should be indexed in introductions and conclusions and how those sections help indexers in the process; understanding types of supplemental materials (in front and back matter and even online) and knowing what is indexable and the level of indexing required.
Behind a well-crafted index is first knowing, as Joan Shapiro points out, the fundamentals about each project: the type of book and its audience, the author’s voice and point of view, the publisher’s requirements, and the length restrictions.
By giving readers and our clients indexes that are complete, easy to navigate, and accurate, we add value to the profession of indexing.
“These are ways in which we can demonstrate to our clients … that we are still doing a job that’s meeting a need that they can’t get elsewhere,” Joan said.
Replays of the series are available for purchase, and those who had already registered have long-term access to those replays.
New training course open for registration
The first two modules of ASI’s new training course, “Principles of Indexing: From Theory to Practice,” are open for registration. Learn all about ASI’s four-module course, which blends foundational instruction, hands-on practice, and interaction with instructors who have real-world indexing experience.
The curriculum, written by a team of indexers led by Shana Milkie, has been designed to provide students with the knowledge, competence, and professional readiness needed to be a working indexer.
Benefits of the revamped course include a digital learning environment, student-instructor engagement, and a modern curriculum.
Check out the FAQ page for more details.
Take the reins as Key Words editor
The American Society for Indexing is seeking an editor for its quarterly journal, Key Words. Applicants must be a current member of ASI.
Requirements of the editorship include:
- Planning the content for each issue, soliciting contributions, editing and proofreading copy, and transmitting files, which have been copy edited, in electronic format to the layout editor for production.
- Overseeing the work of the layout editor, including adherence to production dates. He or she will review page layout and graphic design of each issue, including photos, cover, and illustrations. The editor will proof final copy and provide approval prior to circulation.
- Arranging for full coverage of the Annual Conference events for publication in Key Words.
- Identifying and soliciting cover stories on topics related to the indexing industry that are informative, enlightening, and newsworthy.
ASI reimburses the editor for time and operating expenses with an honorarium.
To apply, please email your letter of interest to Gwen Henson, accompanied by your current resume and statement of how you are qualified for the position and why you are interested in becoming the Key Words editor. Please include links to other publications you have edited.
Chapters and SIGS
Gardening SIG has new webmaster
David Troyan is the new webmaster of the Gardening/Environmental Studies SIG. David will be working to maintain and update the SIG’s website, where you can find more information about group membership and resources. The resources on the website have also been updated, with linked information in such categories as agriculture, archaeology, botanical names, ecology, forestry, horticulture, natural resources, and thesauruses, among others.
Chapter get-togethers planned
The Southeast Chapter will start having monthly Zoom meet-ups, with the first meeting at 4 p.m. Thursday, April 2. Questions? Contact Vickie Jacobs.
The Upper Midwest Chapter gathers for lunch at noon April 13 at the Lone Oak Grille in Eagan, Minnesota. Contact Marilyn Augst with questions.
ASI members can join a chapter at any time, but your first chapter is free with membership. Select it at the time of your annual renewal. Additional chapter membership would be $14 per year.
Information about all of ASI’s chapters is available online here.
Associated Industry News
Enjoy the conference!
We wish the Indexing Society of Canada much success with their online annual conference on April 10–11. The theme is Sorting It Out.
To Your Health
A word about sleeping…
A good night’s sleep is crucial, especially when you have a 70,000-word book to index the next day.
For those who have a hard time falling asleep or staying asleep, cognitive shuffling might offer some relief. The technique was developed by cognitive scientist Luc Beaudoin. The goal is to focus on neutral ideas to quiet racing thoughts and worries.
Here’s how and why it works, according to a recent article from the BBC.
An example: Think of a random word, like “PLANET.” Take the first letter, “P” and think of as many items or objects that start with the same letter. Then go on to “L”. Do the same process. And hopefully by the time you get to “A,” you will be sawing zzzzzs.
As a member of American Society for Indexing, take advantage of your exclusive health coverage benefits through Gallagher—a trusted leader in insurance and benefits solutions. Login for your member link. .
Spotlight on Heather Dubnick
This month’s Spotlight is on Heather Dubnick, of HD Publishing, Research, and Editorial Services.
If you would like to be in the Spotlight, or would like to nominate someone for it, please contact Laurie Hlavaty.
Where do you live now? Where are you originally from? Do you share your home with pets or family?
I live in Beverly, Massachusetts, with my dog, Chelsea. My parents and my boyfriend also live in Beverly. I was born in Pueblo, Colorado, but my parents were college professors, so we moved a lot, and before I reached age nine we had moved six times: to Boulder, Colorado; Emporia, Kansas; Des Plaines, Illinois; two different locations in Chicago, Illinois; and finally Lawrence, Kansas, where we lived until I left for college.
What is your educational background?
I have a BA/MA in Humanities (concentration in comparative literature and art history) and an MA and PhD in Spanish literature, all from Johns Hopkins. I also have an MS in library and information science from Simmons University and a certificate in genealogical research from Boston University.
Do you have any hobbies, travels, volunteer work, or other interesting things to share?
I love cooking, gardening, and making art.
What kind of work did you do before you studied indexing? Are you still doing that or other work in addition to indexing?
I taught writing, literature, and Spanish at the college level before leaving academia and getting my library science degree. By that time, I had already been doing some freelance editing and translation. After completing my library science degree, I began offering indexing and editorial services full time. I now teach indexing and writing in the UC Berkeley Extension School (remotely).
What is a favorite strategy to help motivate or inspire when you are feeling stuck during a work project?
I like to try to get a sense of the overall structure of a book before I begin indexing, so I generally index the introduction first and then add the scaffolding of the chapters, assuming there are decent headings, before adding the entries for the interior chapters.
When did you start indexing? When did you join ASI?
I began indexing in 2003 and joined ASI around the same time.
For you, what is the best advantage of ASI membership?
The Indexer Locator and the online webinars and conferences.
Items to be considered for the See Also newsletter should be submitted by the 15th of the month before publication. For May 2026 issue, please email SeeAlsoEditor@asindexing.org by April 15. Thank you.