ASI News
—Dig into indexing software on September Playground
—In-depth course: Explore creating and using macros
—Submit indexes for ASI's new awards
—What is a metatopic cluster? Find out in webinar replay
Chapters and SIGS
—PNW Chapter meeting: Data-entry efficiency
Associated Industry News
—Join SI for online conference this month
Business and Marketing
—CMOS 18th edition gives word-by-word an edge
To Your Health
—Check out insurance options
Spotlight on Elizabeth Bartmess
ASI News
Dig into indexing software on September Playground
Connect with other ASI colleagues on September 25 at the next Indexing Playground. The theme will be indexing software.
Indexing Playgrounds, held every few months, are a place to chat with other indexers in an informal online environment created just for ASI members. There is no charge.
Bring your software questions, tips, and tricks to this gathering. After an initial greeting, attendees can break out into any of these hosted rooms: CINDEX, Sky, or Embedded Indexing software.
The event starts at 10:00 a.m. Pacific / 1:00 p.m. Eastern. A Zoom link will be sent to all ASI members. Full details are here.
In-depth course: Explore creating and using macros
Plan now for October's three-part Online Learning course on macros. Attendees will learn how to create reliable shortcuts in their indexing software to work more efficiently and accurately.
"Make Your Own Macros—Keyboard Shortcuts to Speed Indexing and Increase Accuracy" will be presented by Elizabeth Bartmess on Wednesday, 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 be taught how to design and troubleshoot simple and complex macros.
Sessions will explore:
Session 1: Identifying macro-shaped problems.
Session 2: Designing, building, and debugging macros.
Session 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. Read all about Elizabeth in this month's Spotlight, below.
Find full details and registration information here.
Submit indexes for ASI's new awards
September 27, 2024, is the final day to submit an index for consideration for ASI's Indexing Awards.
The new awards program honoring excellence in indexing will recognize winners in two categories: scholarly/technical books and trade books. These inaugural awards will be presented for books published in either 2022 or 2023. Each first-place winner will receive $500. At the judges' discretion, an honorable mention may also be awarded.
Indexes will be evaluated for their elegance, usability, accuracy, and consistency of style. Information on the full criteria, submission rules, and the judging process is available here.
Questions? Contact Awards Committee chairperson Amy Hall.
What is a metatopic cluster? Find out in webinar replay
The metatopic is an important structural element of any index—with index usability research showing that entry is among the first a reader seeks out in an index.
Fred Leise reiterated this point in ASI's August webinar: "Biographical Metatopics, or, the Why of the Who." The presentation first explored primary and secondary metatopics as well as complex metatopics, with Fred saying that indexers shouldn't be afraid to create lengthy headings for such metatopics. Not every metatopic can be conveyed in a couple words.
In biographies, the subject of the work is the metatopic, and Fred showed how useful metatopic clusters are in indexing bios. Clusters are modified metatopic headings, with accompanying subheadings, that reflect various aspects about the book's subject.
Fred illustrated such clusters from works he has indexed—showing the value of this structure to both indexers and index users.
The presentation generated a lot of questions and post-webinar praise on online discussion groups.
The webinar is available for replay for those already registered and available for purchase here.
Chapters and SIGS
PNW Chapter meeting: Data-entry efficiency
The Pacific Northwest Chapter of ASI is gathering online October 26 for its 2024 fall meeting, and Connie Binder is the guest speaker. 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 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.
Associated Industry News
Join SI for online conference this month
The Society of Indexers will present its 2024 online conference, "Human Indexing in a Digital World," on September 18–19.
The conference sessions include focus on:
– Artificial intelligence tools in publishing and implications for indexing.
– Indexing software pros and cons, including look at recent changes in the market.
– How indexers can play a role in editing Wikipedia pages related to indexing.
Breakout discussion sessions will include client relations, embedded indexing, multi-author works, and peer review.
Full information about the schedule and registration is here. As an affiliated organization, ASI members get the SI membership rate.
Business and Marketing
CMOS 18th edition gives word-by-word an edge
Word-by-word is the preferred alphabetizing system in the Chicago Manual of Style 18th edition.
This is the biggest update to the Indexes section (Chapter 15) in the new edition, published this month and already available to online subscribers.
While letter-by-letter sorting would still be acceptable, CMOS states word-by-word alphabetizing is easier for users in an index "with many open compounds starting with the same word." This change and comparison of the two systems is explained in detail in section 15.66.
Other changes to the indexing section are described as clarifications, including guidelines on cross-references and on certain name inversions.
A full list of what's new in the 18th edition is here.
The edition is available in hardcover and through digital subscriptions. As well, the "Indexes" chapter is available separately, in paperback and EPUB versions.
To Your Health
Check out insurance options
ASI has partnered with LIG Solutions to offer members exclusive health insurance and related coverage options including major medical, short-term health plans, vision and dental plans, critical care coverage, life, and several different supplemental health options. Visit the Health Insurance Benefits page for more information.
Spotlight on Elizabeth Bartmess
This month's Spotlight is on Elizabeth Bartmess, owner of Elizabeth Bartmess 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 grew up in Knoxville, Tennessee, and live in the San Francisco Bay Area with my husband, our housemates, their dog, and a terrarium full of snails.
What is your educational background?
Psychology and information science (master's degrees in both). My graduate work in psychology focused on how children and adults come to understand and classify the world around them. My information science degree focused on software design and usability testing.
Do you have any hobbies, travels, volunteer work, or other interesting things to share?
I'm pretty involved in volunteer work. I'm co-chair of ASI's Pacific Northwest Chapter, and co-webmaster for both the PNW Chapter and for ASI's Digital Publications Indexing SIG. I've also been providing administrative support for CINDEX's successful transition from proprietary software to open source. Hobby-wise, I'm a fan of puzzle games and escape rooms. I also enjoy going for walks and spending time with my goddaughter.
What kind of work did you do before you studied indexing? Are you still doing that or other work in addition to indexing?
I did data management and statistical programming for large research studies, wrote fiction and nonfiction, edited an anthology, and did programming-related volunteer projects. Currently, I index part time and also develop software for indexing. One project, TextEmbedder, supports embedding index files from traditional indexing software. Another project, tentatively named HTMLizer, takes a CINDEX file or a text file and creates an HTML index. I'm hoping to release both projects later this year. Finally, in October I'll be teaching an ASI online learning course on macros. I'm excited about the course and look forward to seeing some of you there.
What is a favorite strategy to help motivate or inspire when you are feeling stuck during a work project?
When I get stuck, it's often because I've lost track of where I am in the current chapter structure or of how it relates to the chapter main topic or the metatopic. Reorienting myself usually helps. I keep a list of all the chapter main entries in a separate window, with the chapter page spans in page number order, so I can use it to help locate myself. Other times I get stuck because I've been indexing for too long and need a break, so I go for a walk or play a dance game I bought for the Nintendo Switch.
When did you start indexing? When did you join ASI?
I discovered indexing in 2022 when researching freelance editing as a potential career. I joined ASI in July 2022, started the Berkeley course in August, and did my first paid index in May 2023. The publisher then promptly collapsed, so it was an inauspicious start to indexing! They did manage to restructure and eventually paid me several months later, and all my other jobs have gone more smoothly.
For you, what is the best advantage of ASI membership?
The biggest advantage for me has been membership in ASI's Pacific Northwest Chapter. Volunteering with the chapter has helped me build connections and relationships, especially as a new indexer.
Items to be considered for the See Also newsletter should be submitted by the 15th of the month before publication. For October 2024 issue, please email SeeAlsoEditor@asindexing.org by September 15. Thank you.
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