ASI News
—National Indexing Day
—Share ideas for December special event
—Autumn Key Words, on closing an index gap
—Get registered, and ready, to save time with macros
—ASI members talk indexing software on the playground
Chapters and SIGS
—Southeast Chapter making a comeback
—PNW Chapter meeting: Data-entry efficiency
—History/Archaeology SIG to meet
ASI membership: Did you know?
Associated Industry News
—University conference: Ethics in publishing
Spotlight on Jennifer Allison
ASI News
National Indexing Day
November 18 is newly designated as National Indexing Day by the American Society for Indexing. This day will honor the creation and use of indexes.
Indexing is a largely hidden but important part of the publishing industry—providing access to information. Indexes are created for media, including websites, ebooks and other digital publications, and for traditional print publications, such as periodicals and books.
ASI, whose founding was inspired by the British Society of Indexers, held its first formal board meeting on November 18, 1968, in New York City. The organization is one of a worldwide community of indexing associations in countries including the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, South Africa, China, and Ireland. ASI is a leader in providing continuing education for indexers through webinars, online learning courses, and conferences.
Join us in celebrating ASI’s first National Indexing Day with your tweets, posts, and comments.
Share ideas for December special event
ASI is planning its annual special event for December 6 and welcomes your ideas on educational topics you would be interested in. We also welcome proposals for presentations.
Please send your ideas or proposals to Vickie Jacobs by October 7.
Watch for more details on the December online event in upcoming newsletters.
Autumn Key Words, on closing an index gap
The fall issue of Key Words, out this month, features:
- A peek into the project of indexing the last seven years of ASI's quarterly journal (Carolyn Weaver and Mylinh Hamlington).
- An exploration of the key characteristics of travel guide indexes (Cheryl Lenser).
- Review of the Society of Indexers' online conference (Devon Thomas).
The Paratext column addresses the ins and outs of the rush job; Business Bookshelf tackles assessing rates and work-life balance; and Ask Kate returns with a new question and answer.
If you have a question for the Ask Kate column, you can pose it anonymously using this form.
Get registered, and ready, to save time with macros
There is still time to register for this month's three-part course on macros, which kicks off October 9. Attendees will learn how to create reliable shortcuts in their indexing software to work more efficiently.
"Make Your Own Macros—Keyboard Shortcuts to Speed Indexing and Increase Accuracy" will be presented by Elizabeth Bartmess on Wednesdays, October 9, 16, and 23, 2024. Each session is about one hour.
The hands-on course is aimed at both beginners and at indexers who want to enhance their macro skills and learn new techniques. Attendees will learn to design and troubleshoot simple and complex macros, including:
Week 1: Identifying macro-shaped problems.
Week 2: Designing, building, and debugging macros.
Week 3: Text manipulation, scripting, and getting help.
Examples will be demonstrated for creating and using macros in CINDEX, Sky 8, and Macrex, along with the use of macro software.
The presenter, Elizabeth, has a master's degree in information science and experience in data management and statistical programming. She volunteers with the Open Cindex project, is co-chair of ASI's Pacific Northwest Chapter, and is co-webmaster for the Digital Publications SIG.
Long-term access to replays is available for those who register, even if you can't attend the original presentation. The early rate for the course ends October 22, but you can still register for replays. Find full details and registration information here.
ASI members talk indexing software on the playground
Dozens of ASI members gathered online on September 25 for the fourth in a series of Indexing Playgrounds, a program created for ASI members to socialize and learn.
The focus was on indexing software. Attendees broke into separate rooms on the following topics: Cindex, led by Shelley Quattrocchi; Sky, led by Judy McConville; and embedded indexing software, led by Heather Pendley.
In the Cindex gathering, attendees ranged from indexers in training and those very new to the software to those who have been using it for decades—including one indexer who used it when it was a disk-operating system (DOS) in the 1990s. There was consensus that there is always more to learn and many features to tap into.
"I adore Cindex, but I feel like I don't know nearly enough about it," host Shelley said, a sentiment echoed by other users.
As in the other rooms, there was lively discussion about the indexing software's features and shortcuts, as attendees tapped into each other's knowledge and work processes.
If you have an idea for a theme for upcoming playgrounds, contact ASI's president, Shelley Quattrocchi.
Chapters and SIGS
Southeast Chapter making a comeback
The ASI Southeast Chapter is resuming activities and plans to kick things off with a meeting on Zoom this month. Other online and potentially in-person events are in the works, according to chapter leader Vickie Jacobs.
The chapter's core region includes Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Questions? Contact Vickie.
Membership in one chapter of your choice is included as a member benefit with your ASI dues. Members may join additional chapters at the rate of $14 per chapter.
Information about joining the Southeast Chapter, or any ASI chapter, is here.
PNW Chapter meeting: Data-entry efficiency
The Pacific Northwest Chapter of ASI will hold its 2024 fall meeting online on October 26. Connie Binder is the guest speaker, and she will discuss “You Can Do It! Maximize Your Data-entry Efficiency!"
Attendees will learn time-saving data entry and editing techniques, including importing lists of terms; editing efficiently; and using abbreviations/acronyms, macros, indexing software functions, and keyboard shortcuts.
The session, which runs from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. Pacific time, is free for PNW chapter members, $5 for ASI members who are not PNW members, and $10 for all others.
Register here by October 12.
Everyone must register, and after doing so, non-PNW members should use the link to pay online. The Zoom link for the meeting will be sent in advance of the meeting. Email questions here.
History/Archaeology SIG to meet
The History/Archaeology Special Interest Group will hold an online social gathering on October 25, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern time. 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 can be found here.
ASI membership: Did you know?
ASI members have access to a host of resources, including the ASI Professional Activities and Salary Survey. The data gathered through the in-depth survey of indexers in 2021 offers a snapshot of the industry and allows members to see how their individual skills, interests, and goals can fit into the existing industry structure and how they might be able to leverage emerging trends to their advantage.
Associated Industry News
University conference: Ethics in publishing
The George Washington University Graduate Program in Publishing will host its 14th GW Ethics in Publishing Conference on October 10-11, with in-person and virtual attendance options.
The conference is sponsored by a number of publishing organizations, boasts an expansive program, and is free of charge. Topics include Language Discrimination in Academic Publishing, Adventures in Digital Publishing, and AI and Responsible Publishing.
For full schedule and registration information, click here.
Spotlight on Jennifer Allison
This month's Spotlight is on Jennifer Allison, owner of Manuscript Spa.
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 the Boston suburb of Needham, Massachusetts, with my husband and our two cats. I am originally from San Diego, California.
What is your educational background?
I have a BA in English and German from Pacific Lutheran University, a master's in Information and Library Science (MLIS) from San Jose State University, a master of laws (LLM) in German Law from the University of Würzburg in Germany, and a JD from Pepperdine Law School.
Do you have any hobbies, travels, volunteer work, or other interesting things to share?
I am a big reader, both of print books and audiobooks. One of my favorite things to do is to listen to an audiobook while on a long road trip, while doing yard work, or while walking outside.
When I was in Germany getting my LLM degree, I also taught legal English and substantive U.S. law courses as a "Dozent" (kind of like an adjunct or visiting professor) at the University of Würzburg. I still return to Germany once a year to do this, and Würzburg is essentially my second home by now.
I started learning German in high school and kept it up over the years. My German was very close to native-level fluency when I finished my LLM, and I worked really hard to get it to that point. Although it's not as good now, German people don't immediately switch to English when they hear me, so I guess it's still OK. I read books in German in an effort to keep it up.
Finally, I played recreational ice hockey for many years. Now, I prefer working out in the gym with my trainer or running on the treadmill for exercise.
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 an academic law librarian, specializing in foreign and international law. I worked for five years at the Pepperdine Law Library after I finished my JD. After that I worked for ten years at the Harvard Law School Library.
I left Harvard at the end of 2022 to start Manuscript Spa, my academic editing and indexing business for legal books and journal articles.
In addition to continuing to teach in Würzburg, I am also an adjunct law professor at Penn State Dickinson School of Law, where I teach legal research courses. That work is definitely law librarian-adjacent.
Finally, I am a licensed attorney, having passed the California Bar Exam in 2007, but I have never practiced law.
What is one of your favorite strategies to help motivate or inspire when you are feeling stuck during a work project?
Going out for a walk (with my audiobook, of course) or taking a nap.
When did you start indexing? When did you join ASI?
Manuscript Spa originally solely offered editing services. However, in 2023, I also started indexing because a friend of mine who had written a book had hired an indexer who couldn't complete the project. Since I had the time, I decided to give it a go. She was really happy with my work, so I expanded my services to include indexing. I have indexed four additional law-related books since then. Indexing is really ideal work for a librarian.
I joined ASI earlier this year. I had always gotten a lot out of my membership in the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) when I worked as a librarian, so I decided to seek out a professional organization in my new line of work.
For you, what is the best advantage of ASI membership?
Everyone has been delightfully friendly and welcoming. I am very grateful for this.
Items to be considered for the See Also newsletter should be submitted by the 15th of the month before publication. For the November 2024 issue, please email SeeAlsoEditor@asindexing.org by October 15. Thank you.
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