ASI News
—Kick off 2024 with CINDEX webinar
—Meet with colleagues on the Indexing Playground
—Help fill the upcoming board vacancies
—ASI seeks editor for quarterly journal
—Watch for winter Key Words
—ASI's 2024 Member icon available
—Hacks aplenty for indexers
Chapters and SIGS
—How to join a chapter
Associated Industry News
—Two indexers receive ISC/SCI diversity bursary
—Netherlands Indexers blog now in English, too
Business and Marketing
—Notable 2024 tax dates
Spotlight on Christine Hoskin
ASI News
Kick off 2024 with CINDEX webinar
Learn about little-used tools and functions in CINDEX at ASI's first webinar of 2024. "CINDEX Streamlining and Refining" with Maria Sullivan will be held on Wednesday, January 17, at 10:00 a.m. Pacific time (1:00 p.m. Eastern).
Both new and seasoned users of the software could benefit from the tips, including:
- Using keystroke shortcuts.
- Accessing extended characters.
- Creating headnotes.
- Reconciling headings.
- Importing and splitting entries.
Maria has been indexing since 1988—and using CINDEX nearly as long. She has also been providing support for users of the software since 1994.
The webinar is $19 for ASI members. Full registration information for both members and non-members can be found here.
Meet with colleagues on the Indexing Playground
Join fellow ASI indexers on January 24, 2024, for the second Indexing Playground—an opportunity to connect with other indexers in an informal, safe environment especially for ASI members.
Each playground will have a common interest, and you’re welcome to stay in one or move to a new playground. The theme of the January gathering is geographic regions.
We’ll meet via Zoom at 10:00 a.m. Pacific time (1:00 p.m. Eastern).and break into these chat rooms:
- Northwest
- Southwest
- Northeast
- South Central and East
- Midwest
- Outside the United States
No advance registration is necessary. ASI members will receive a Zoom link before the event starts.
Help fill the upcoming board vacancies
There will be three available seats on ASI's Board of Directors this spring. The Nominating Committee welcomes your interest and input on filling the positions for:
- President-elect
- Two Directors-at-large
The president-elect attends all board meetings, serves as president the following year (2025-2026), and then as immediate past president, chairing the Nominating Committee—a three-year commitment in all. Directors serve a three-year term.
Responsibilities of all offices include participating in quarterly board meetings, acting as a liaison between the board and their assigned ASI committee(s), and contributing to other organizational issues and projects of interest. ASI's bylaws offer complete information on board responsibilities.
The deadline for receiving suggestions by the Nominating Committee is January 12, 2024. Please email Gina Guilinger or Shannon Li.
ASI seeks editor for quarterly journal
The American Society for Indexing is seeking an editor for its quarterly journal, Key Words—the premier resource for indexing professionals in the United States. The editor, who must be a member of ASI, will be responsible for planning the content for each issue, soliciting contributions, editing and proofreading copy, and supervising the layout production.
The editor receives an honorarium for each quarterly issue.
The application deadline is February 15, 2024. Complete details are here.
Watch for winter Key Words
Take a deep-dive into cookbook indexing in the winter edition of Key Words. Explore specialty cookbooks, guidelines on indexing photos, resources for cookbook indexers—as well as an indexer's hands-on testing of home remedies. ASI's quarterly journal, coming this month, will also include:
- Remembrance of past two-term ASI president Kate Mertes.
- Column on checklists to help boost accuracy and efficiency.
Key Words is delivered digitally to all ASI members. Or subscribe here.
ASI's 2024 Member icon available
The American Society for Indexing strives to increase the visibility of the association and the indexing industry. Members of ASI can highlight their professionalism and assure their clients they are dedicated participants in the industry by displaying the 2024 ASI Member icon. The membership icon can be used in an email signature, added to websites, and featured on invoices and business cards.
A graphic file of the member icon can be downloaded here.
Hacks aplenty for indexers
Attendees of the special event "Indexing Life Hacks" on December 5, 2023, came away with more than a few methods to work more efficiently and healthfully.
In "Show those PDFs Who's Boss," Kendra Millis focused on time-saving steps to modify PDFs. Her demonstrations on splitting page spreads, cropping pages, and extracting endnotes were particularly appreciated by attendees.
Marilyn Augst gave indexers practical methods for organizing office systems, in "Project Tracking Like a Pro," stressing the relationship of client and project tracking to the bottom line. "Having a good tracking system allows us to be organized; being organized allows us to be efficient; being efficient gives up more time to index, and more indexing translates into more money."
In "Making Work Feel Less Like Work," doctor of physical therapy Lindsay McGraw focused on ways indexers can maximize wellness, even while immersed in computer-focused work. Helpful handouts complemented her discussion on the principles of ergonomics; habits for staying healthy (including regular position and vision breaks); and safe stretching to prevent soreness.
The event concluded with Fred Leise’s "And Furthermore…: Tips for Indexing Notes," which included many examples of notes and how they are indexed—or not, depending on the type of note.
Those who registered for the event can re-watch sessions for a full year. Access them here.
Chapters and SIGS
How to join a chapter
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 are $14 per year.
Information about all of ASI's chapters is available here.
Associated Industry News
Two indexers receive ISC/SCI diversity bursary
Pascale Hutton and Sade Cooke are recipients of the 2023 ISC/SCI Diversity in Canadian Publishing Bursary Award. Both winners have worked in archives and are aspiring indexers.
With this bursary, the Indexing Society of Canada / Société canadienne d’indexation aims to help achieve equality of opportunity for indexer trainees belonging to underrepresented and/or marginalized groups. The bursary covers fees for an approved indexing program, two years of ISC membership, and entry into the Mary Newberry Mentorship program.
Netherlands Indexers blog now in English, too
The Netherlands Indexers Network (NIN) has recently had its blog posts translated to English. They are available here.
Business and Marketing
Notable 2024 tax dates
While marking your calendar for the new year, remember key tax due dates:
Fourth-quarter 2023 estimated taxes—for earnings September 1 to December 21, 2023—are due January 16, 2024.
For 2024 earnings, estimated taxes are due on April 15, 2024; June 17, 2024; September 16, 2024, and January 15, 2025. The IRS' 1040-ES form for 2024 estimated taxes is here.
Federal income tax returns for 2023 are due on April 15, 2024, but Maine and Massachusetts residents have until April 17, 2024, because of state holidays.
Money magazine shares important dates and tips about income tax schedules here, including how and when to file an extension.
Spotlight on Christine Hoskin
This month's Spotlight is on Christine Hoskin, owner of Schoolhouse Indexing.
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 a one-room schoolhouse built in 1826 (thus the name, Schoolhouse Indexing) in New Hampshire. My husband, Chris, and I both grew up in New Hampshire but then lived away for close to twenty years—including on a boat in the Virgin Islands, eight years in south Florida, and the better part of a decade in Canada, just north of Toronto. Our son Benjamin was born there, giving him both US and Canadian citizenship (which he has appreciated, as he is in his final year of university in Canada). We all moved back to New Hampshire eighteen years ago to be closer to family. And we are dog people… our current pup, Iggy, is a ten-year-old mixed breed.
What is your educational background?
I have a bachelor of science in Business Administration from the University of New Hampshire.
Do you have any hobbies, travels, volunteer work, or other interesting things to share?
Unlike many indexers, I cannot claim any crafting skills whatsoever. Music is more my hobby. I sang (and directed) a church choir for many years and am now part of a community chorus. My husband and I also attend a lot of local musical events, enjoying the talent of our community. Although we live in a rural area, there is a rich cultural community here, which we appreciate and support. Reading, of course, is my passion. My family believes I have a disorder, since I read all day for work and then relax by reading. Travel is another favorite, and I have been lucky to have a husband who is an adventurer and well-seasoned traveler—broadening my horizons tremendously over the years. Our son lived in Berlin for the past year, so we thoroughly enjoyed German vacationing. And my happy place is on our boat in the summer—give me a picnic and a ride around the lake in the sunshine any day.
What kind of work did you do before you studied indexing? Are you still doing that or other work in addition to indexing?
My pre-indexing work was in office management. I am an organizer, keeping everyone on track. That organizational gene is definitely a plus for an indexer and freelance business owner. I have indexed exclusively full time since 2006.
What is a favorite strategy to help motivate or inspire when you are feeling stuck during a work project?
A friend introduced me to the “just do it for ten minutes” strategy, which has served me well. When you really don’t want to start working on something, but you know you should, just do it for ten minutes. Most of the time, once started, I find myself engaged and just keep going. If I truly cannot get engaged after ten minutes, then I do something else for a while and try again later. On the other end of the day, when I have re-read the same thing three times and still don’t know what it says, I stop. Being a morning person, I know starting fresh the next day is key for me. So starting and stopping seem to be my strategies.
When did you start indexing? When did you join ASI?
I began indexing in the spring of 2006 and joined ASI right away. My cousin’s wife, Carol Frenier, was a long-time indexer, and she introduced me to both indexing and ASI, and I have been grateful ever since.
For you, what is the best advantage of ASI membership?
Being part of ASI has been like finding my people—people whose eyes don’t glaze over in confusion or boredom when you start to talk indexing. The New England Chapter of ASI was very active when I started, and I took advantage of all the conference and learning opportunities offered. And networking with other indexers has been a source of both work and pleasure.
Items to be considered for the See Also newsletter should be submitted by the 15th of the month before publication. For February 2024 issue, please email SeeAlsoEditor@asindexing.org by January 15. Thank you.
Comments are closed.