ASI News
—”Indexing in Interesting Times” conference is June 10–11
—Study index structure in 3-part webinar series
—Board nominees announced
—New training course is ready for students
—Team focuses on ASI membership
—Are you the next Key Words editor?
—Did You Know?
Chapters and SIGS
—Upper Midwest Chapter plans April get-together
—Chicago chapter needs chairperson
Associated Industry News
—SI celebrates indexing
—Catch the early bird rates for Canadian conference
—Read free issue of The Indexer, other journals
Business and Marketing
—Don’t miss out on a deduction
Spotlight on Stephen Ullstrom
ASI News
“Indexing in Interesting Times” conference is June 10–11
Save the date for ASI’s annual conference, “Indexing in Interesting Times: Strategies for Thriving Amid Chaos.” It will be held online 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.
Anticipated sessions include:
- artificial intelligence and indexing
- disaster planning and recovery
- current state of scholarly publishing
- government contracting
- editing your index
- indexing software
- international clients and payments
- indexing outside your comfort zone
If you would like to present on one of these topics or recommend a speaker, please contact Connie Binder, Annual Conference committee chair.
Please note: ASI follows an alternating in-person/online annual conference schedule, with 2026 expected to be an in-person gathering in Minneapolis. Because of the recent unrest there, the ASI Board has decided to hold an online conference this year. This has the added benefit of being more accessible and affordable for indexers.
Study index structure in 3-part webinar series
On March 4, a three-part webinar series on index structure kicks off and continues on March 11 and March 18.
“Structural Elements: A Deeper Look Into Structure” will feature industry-leading indexers who bring expertise and practical insight to their presentations:
- Indexing Whatchamacallits and Thingamajigs. On March 4, Joan Shapiro examines missing or incomplete information in texts, discussing how indexers decide when—and how much—to supply what isn’t explicitly stated.
- Beginnings and Endings. On March 11, Gina Guilinger explores the often-overlooked power of introductions and conclusions, sharing practical strategies for using these sections to strengthen and clarify the overall index.
- Beyond the Book. On March 18, Devon Thomas wraps up the series with guidance on indexing ancillary material, including review questions, tables, glossaries, appendices, and other supplemental content—what to include, when to include it, and why it matters.
Each webinar starts at 10 a.m. Pacific/1 p.m. Eastern time and lasts about an hour.
Registration is available here. Long-term access to replays of each session will be available for those who register.
Board nominees announced
ASI’s Nominating Committee has announced the slate of candidates for positions on the Board of Directors. Voting takes place through April 10, 2026.
The nominees are:
President-elect: Judy Staigmiller
Secretary: Vickie Jacobs
Directors-at-Large: Jessica Siddiqi and Heather Dubnick
A ballot and full information about these candidates is available here. 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.
New training course is ready for students
The first two modules of the new “Principles of Indexing: From Theory to Practice” are open for registration. Explore the outline of ASI’s four-module training 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.
Registration starts here, on the ASI website.
Team focuses on ASI membership
As part of a long-term strategic effort to improve the ASI member experience, a team was recently created to better understand the financial and organizational health of ASI, with a focus on member retention and recruitment. The THRIVE team, consisting of Shannon Li, Kristen St. John, Carolyn Weaver, and ASI President Jen Weers, will use a variety of approaches to better understand members’ experiences, priorities, and areas of concerns.
Team members will be reaching out to the membership and welcome your honest feedback. If you have anything you would like to share, feel free to email Jen.
Are you the next Key Words editor?
Apply by March 7 to be the editor of American Society for Indexing’s quarterly journal, Key Words. Applicants must be current members 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 the final copy.
- Arranging for full coverage of the Annual Conference 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 of $4,800 for the year, paid at a rate of $1,200 per quarter.
Being the editor of Key Words opens up so many doors. I have connected with countless fellow indexers through the position, and those connections have benefited me in many ways: I have learned a lot about indexing from some of the best in the business, I have gotten to know many new people, I have been recommended for jobs because people know who I am, and I have had the opportunity to think about indexing in ways I might not otherwise. The editor of Key Words gets to be involved in ASI in a unique way by shaping what members read each quarter; it was both fun to think about different aspects of indexing that the readership would enjoy and benefit from, and a source of pride to develop recurring features for the journal.
—Sarahh Scher, Outgoing Editor of Key Words
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.
Did You Know?
The ASI website has a robust list of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion resources available. The resources are helpful in deepening knowledge and understanding of gendered language, use of disability terminology, and indexing names correctly.
Please check out this resource and more on ASI’s Reference Shelf.
Chapters and SIGS
Upper Midwest Chapter plans April get-together
The Upper Midwest Chapter is active again, after being on hiatus. Chairperson Marilyn Augst said chapter members will meet at noon on Monday, April 13, at the Lone Oak Grille in Eagan, Minnesota. Email Marilyn with questions.
Current ASI members can email the ASI office requesting to be transferred to that chapter.
Chicago chapter needs chairperson
The Chicago-Great Lakes Chapter is seeking a new chairperson. Contact ASI President Jen Weers if interested.
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 memberships would be $14 per year.
Associated Industry News
SI celebrates indexing
The Society of Indexers (SI) will celebrate its tenth National Indexing Day on March 31, 2026.
The event was established in March 2017 to commemorate the diamond anniversary of the founding of the UK’s Society of Indexers. Since then, indexers, authors and publishers have joined together each year to salute indexers and indexing. SI will celebrate this year with a half-day in-person workshop for publishing professionals in London, as well as on social media.
ASI wishes SI a successful National Indexing Day!
Catch the early bird rates for Canadian conference
Early bird registration ends March 15 for the Indexing Society of Canada’s online annual conference April 10–11, 2026. The theme is Sorting It Out.
Keynote address titled Who ordered the alphabet? will be presented by linguist, author, and podcaster Danny Bate. He will analyze the origins of the English alphabet, explaining why the letters are ordered from A through Z. His book, Why Q Needs U, was published in 2025.
A full list of the presenters, topics, and registration information is available here.
The ISC/SCI conference sessions will be recorded and available to registrants for at least one year after the date of the conference.
Read free issue of The Indexer, other journals
The March 2023 issue of The Indexer is available free through its publisher, Liverpool University Press. This issue of the quarterly international journal of indexing includes “Finding your first book-indexing job” by Max McMaster as well as reports on the hybrid international indexing conference held in Berlin in late 2022.
The UK-based LUP offers a free issue of its journals each year, so you can also browse through others while on their site, including Archives, The Bodleian Library Record, and the Bibliographic Society’s The Library.
Business and Marketing
Don’t miss out on a deduction
Amid scrambling to pull everything together to file your taxes on time, take a few minutes to read the Freelancers Union’s “14 Key Freelance Business Deductions for Your 2025 Return”.
New York-based accountant Jonathan Medows gives a detailed look at expenses that qualify as business deductions, especially considering changes from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025. He points out that “awareness and documentation” are key in maximizing your deductions, including:
- Expanded state and local tax (SALT) deduction
- Qualified Business Income deduction
- Technology expenses, including software, phone, and internet
- Home office expenses
- Professional development expenses
- Health premiums and business-related insurance
Spotlight on Stephen Ullstrom
This month’s Spotlight is on indexer and writer Stephen Ullstrom, who won the ASI 2025 Indexing Award.
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 currently live in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, with my wife, Elim.
I grew up as a Third Culture Kid, so where I am from is complicated.
I was born in Toronto, but most of my extended family lives in British Columbia. At age two, I moved to Taiwan with my parents. I grew up in Taiwan, except for a few stints back in Canada, until I graduated from high school, an American international school.
I spent most of my twenties in and around Vancouver, BC. About eleven years ago, I moved to Edmonton, as Elim was working on her PhD at the University of Alberta. I didn’t expect to stay in Edmonton this long, but we are still here and likely to stay for the foreseeable future.
What is your educational background?
I have a BA in creative writing and political science (double major) from the University of British Columbia. I also joined the Arts Co-op program to gain work experience, which is how I found indexing. In some respects, Co-op was the best part of my undergrad, but it did take me six and a half years to finally graduate.
Do you have any hobbies, travels, volunteer work, or other interesting things to share?
I got into publishing because I love reading, as is true for many indexers. It has also been a life-long dream to be a published author. That dream was partly fulfilled when I self-published Book Indexing: A Step-by-Step Guide. I want to write and publish more, though I’ve found it challenging to develop a consistent writing practice while also indexing. Last November, I joined a writing accountability program and am finally making slow but sustained progress on a novel. I’m thrilled to be making progress, am enjoying the process, and hope to have a full draft by the end of the year.
What kind of work did you do before you studied indexing? Are you still doing that or other work in addition to indexing?
I was introduced to indexing during my undergrad education and began freelancing a year after I graduated, so I don’t have much work experience prior to indexing.
One of my more memorable summer jobs was two summers spent planting trees in northern British Columbia. That job taught me about perseverance, pacing, and the value of good technique, as well as the importance of mental health and resilience—all good lessons to carry forward into freelancing. Spring and summer are also great seasons to spend outdoors in the bush, and planting exposed me to very different physical and social environments than what I knew in Taiwan.
Once I joined the Arts Co-op program, I was able to get jobs at the journal Canadian Literature, UBC Press, and Harbour Publishing. That’s where I got my start in publishing and indexing. I stayed on at Harbour until I left to begin freelancing.
What is a favorite strategy to help motivate or inspire when you are feeling stuck during a work project?
Taking a break and moving about usually helps. Often when I’m stuck it is because I’m tired, and a break is more effective than trying to push through. I also often get ideas while washing the dishes or going for a walk, for example. So while time spent at my computer is necessary to type and edit entries, I also don’t consider time away to be wasted.
When did you start indexing? When did you join ASI?
I wrote my first index in 2011 while working in-house at Harbour Publishing. I then left Harbour in late 2012 to begin freelancing.
I joined ASI in 2024. I obviously knew about ASI prior to joining and occasionally attended webinars, conferences, and other events, but I was much more active in the Indexing Society of Canada, which is closer to home. I finally decided to see what difference having an ASI profile would make.
For you, what is the best advantage of ASI membership?
I’m tempted to say winning the ASI Indexing Award, for which you need to be an ASI member to submit or be nominated. But that isn’t why I joined. For me, the best advantage is the Indexer Locator, which exposes me to a wider pool of potential clients.
Items to be considered for the See Also newsletter should be submitted by the 15th of the month before publication. For April 2026 issue, please email SeeAlsoEditor@asindexing.org by March 15. Thank you.