ASI News
—ASI website: Fresh look and new features
—ASI takes on artificial intelligence
—Awards contest deadline extended
—Fill out Key Words survey on business practices
—Revisit annual conference in Key Words summer issue
—New members meet and learn
Chapters and SIGS
—History SIG meets this month
Associated Industry News
—Download Cindex through app stores
—Early rates end soon for SI 2025 conference
—BISG: Share your views on AI
To Your Health
—Better health may be a freelancing perk
Spotlight on Randa Dubnick
ASI News
ASI website: Fresh look and new features
ASI’s website has had a makeover! The site has a clean, crisp design and new features, making it easier to use. Changes include:
- Update of the WordPress version enhances security on the site.
- A new shopping cart. When you renew your ASI membership, a coupon code for your first chapter—included with ASI membership—will be automatically applied. It’s also easier to add an Indexer Locator Listing and SIG memberships.
- New entry points for publishers, joining, training, and professional learning right on the home page.
There may be further updates over the coming weeks, but the site is up and running and working well, so check it out.
Thank you to the following people and groups who made this redesign happen: Webmaster Rich Hamilton, who spent a lot of time writing code to ensure that the membership software on the site works cleanly with the new shopping cart and the new template; ASI’s webmaster team, which played a vital role in checking the demo site and the new live site for any issues with links; the ASI Board of Directors, who supported this transition.
Thanks also to ASI Executive Director Gwen Henson, who created the design and welcomes constructive feedback from members on any issues or suggestions on other improvements.
ASI takes on artificial intelligence
ASI is forming an AI Committee to investigate, document, and respond to potential impacts of artificial intelligence on indexing. It is chaired by Elizabeth Bartmess with support from Michele Combs and Jola Komornicka.
The committee’s first task is to produce two documents: a white paper describing the shortcomings of large language model-generated indexes and an official Statement on AI for authors and publishers on the use of LLMs for indexing.
In addition, the Digital Publications Indexing SIG is developing a template AI policy statement for individual indexers for inclusion on websites and in their client materials.
Full information on the committee and its initiatives is available here.
Elizabeth welcomes feedback and additional information on AI and indexing.
Please see Associated Industry News for information about an AI survey you can take.
Awards contest deadline extended
There is now extra time to submit an index in the 2025 ASI Indexing Awards contest. The deadline has been extended to August 29.
Indexers should submit a final PDF version (publisher’s copy) of a book that was indexed with a publication date of 2024 for consideration in either the trade book or scholarly/technical categories. An Honorable Mention award may also be awarded at the judges’ discretion.
Each first-place winner receives $500. There is a $35 entry fee. Complete information on the criteria, submission rules, and the judging process is available here.
Questions regarding the ASI Awards process can be directed to Heidi Winston, chair of the Awards Committee.
ASI revamped its indexing awards program last year, with the competition divided into two categories: trade books and scholarly/technical books. This was to better reflect the variety of work indexers do. Written feedback will be provided to each entrant.
Fill out Key Words survey on business practices
Share your experiences on running an indexing business through a survey put together by the Key Words team. The results will help guide a business-focused issue, planned for the journal’s winter issue.
The survey is completely anonymous, and your participation is appreciated.
Revisit annual conference in Key Words summer issue
The Summer issue of Key Words is out, with full coverage of ASI’s annual conference. In addition, the Paratext column from Christine Hoskin looks at accidental specialties, and Index Zero features an FAQ from Pilar Wyman on embedded indexing.
New members meet and learn
When newcomers to ASI came together online last month for a New Member Meet and Greet, they shared details about their career experience (including library science, academia, and publishing) and learned about ASI’s membership benefits and resources.
Attendees enjoyed the opportunity to meet other indexers, said Jen Weers, ASI president and event moderator, with ASI Executive Director Gwen Henson.
There was also discussion about marketing and how to get work, technology, the variety of special interest groups as well as about how exciting and nerve-wracking that first indexing project can be.
ASI plans to continue hosting new member events.
Chapters and SIGS
History SIG meets this month
The History/Archaeology Special Interest Group will hold an online social gathering on Friday, July 25, at 2 p.m. Eastern time. Members will receive a Zoom link.
Visit the H/A SIG’s website for information about joining, or check out the SIG’s discussion group.
Information about all of ASI’s SIGs is available here.
To share news about ASI’s SIGs and Chapters, please email See Also.
Associated Industry News
Download Cindex through app stores
The newest version of Cindex—and future updates—will now be available in the Apple App Store (for Mac users) and in the Microsoft Store (for Windows users).
This streamlined availability of the indexing software means there are no extra installation steps necessary on either platform. Your system will automatically acknowledge, verify, and accept the certificate, ensuring a smooth download and installation process, according to the Open Cindex Working Group.
It’s recommended that all users install the latest version (4.4.1). Here’s how:
Go to the Open Cindex site and follow the link (the button with the store logo) for your appropriate platform. That will take users directly to the download. Or you can just browse the appropriate app store and search for Cindex.
The Cindex Working Group advises that current users uninstall earlier versions (4.4 and earlier) before installing 4.4.1. This will only be necessary the first time installing from one of the app stores. After that, any updates will simply overwrite the existing app. Notifications about updates will come directly through the Apple or Microsoft app store.
For now, the Publishers’ Edition download is still available only on the Open Cindex site.
Thank you to Maria Sullivan and Elizabeth Bartmess and the other Open Cindex Working Group members for their expertise and time in enacting this change.
Early rates end July 7 for the Society of Indexers 2025 conference
Take advantage of the early-bird rate through July 7 for the Society of Indexers 2025 conference, to be held in Birmingham, UK, on September 19–21. The theme is “The Heart and Mind of Indexing,” with a focus on the ongoing importance of human empathy and real intelligence in book indexing. Full information on registration and lodging is here.
BISG: Share your views on AI
The Book Industry Study Group (BISG) invites people from throughout the book industry supply chain to participate in a survey to assess how artificial intelligence is affecting the publishing industry.
BISG’s AI Working Group will use the data from the survey to inform their work to create guidelines, best practices, and programming for the industry.
The survey takes 10 to 15 minutes to complete, and the deadline to respond is July 31, 2025. Responses are anonymous, but respondents can share their email to receive a summary of the results.
To Your Health
Better health may be a freelancing perk
Being an independent contractor can be good for your physical and mental health, especially for women.
Freelance Busting, a Substack newsletter from advocate Kim Kavin, regularly points out research on the health benefits for independent contractors, including:
- A cross-sectional analysis on the relationship between self-employment and cardiovascular disease, published in the peer-reviewed journal BMC Public Health in May, shows that “self-employment was associated with a favorable CVD risk profile among women, particularly non-minority women.”
- An Indeed study found that 48 percent of women who switched to contract work reported improved mental health.
- UCLA Health researchers in 2022 found that self-employed women had lower risks of reporting high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes compared to those in traditional work settings. They were also more likely to report exercise and lower body mass index.
Kim maintains a website that includes research of interest to independent contractors.
Spotlight on Randa Dubnick
This month’s Spotlight is on Randa Dubnick, of Line by Line Publication 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 am originally from Pueblo, Colorado. I now live in Beverly, Massachusetts, married with grown children. My daughter Heather is also an indexer.
What is your educational background?
I have a BA from the University of Colorado, with a double major in art and French.
I have a PhD and an MA in Comparative Literature from the University of Colorado, with a specialty in art/literary relations. My languages for the graduate degrees were French, Italian, and Latin.
I wrote a dissertation on Gertrude Stein and Cubism that was later published by the University of Illinois press in 1984 under the title “The Structure of Obscurity: Gertrude Stein, Language, and Cubism.”
Do you have any hobbies, travels, volunteer work, or other interesting things to share?
I am an independent artist, chiefly a painter. I show my work at Porter Mill here in Beverly, where I have a studio, as well as at Galatea Fine Art in Boston. I participate in some local art shows and events and do portraits by commission.
I love languages and can speak French and Portuguese, can read Italian and Spanish, and am currently learning Yiddish on Duolingo. I especially like traveling to Portugal and Brazil because of personal connections there. I have also traveled to France, Italy, and Spain. I made several trips to England, Scotland, Ireland, and Northern Ireland while my husband had a Fulbright at Queen’s University in Belfast.
I love to dance. I took ballroom dancing for many years. These days you might catch me dancing in my kitchen.
What kind of work did you do before you studied indexing? Are you still doing that or other work in addition to indexing?
For many years, I taught English composition, technical writing, and literature courses (at Emporia State College, Loyola University of Chicago, University of Kansas.) I also worked in higher education administration (academic and student services) for many years (working at the University of Kansas, Princeton University, and Montserrat College of Art).
I no longer work in education, though in recent years, I did a little tutoring in French.
In addition to my work as an indexer, I also edit and proofread. This work also includes texts containing foreign languages.
What is a favorite strategy to help motivate or inspire when you are feeling stuck during a work project?
Take a break, go for a walk, have a snack, work on a painting, do a quick puzzle. Even if I am rushed, it helps to do something else, even if it is just for 10 minutes.
When did you start indexing? When did you join ASI?
In 2005; joined ASI within that year.
For you, what is the best advantage of ASI membership?
ASI makes it easier to get projects that are the right fit. Through ASI’s Indexer Locator, I can be found by clients needing an indexer who can work with foreign languages.
Items to be considered for the See Also newsletter should be submitted by the 15th of the month before publication. For the August 2025 issue, please email SeeAlsoEditor@asindexing.org by July 15. Thank you.