ASI News
—Find a volunteer job right for you
—Take a deep dive into embedded indexing
—Sept. 16 Playground looks at subject specialties
—Indexing philosophy webinar: You have what it takes
—Meghan Wagner takes up Key Words editorship
—Start thinking about Indexing Day
Chapters and SIGS
—Tools and Workflows SIG holds first meeting Sept. 11
—Take a tour of library at botanic gardens
—History/Archaeology SIG meets this month
Associated Industry News
—UK indexers plan November online conference
—University conference: Ethics in publishing
Business and Marketing
—It’s tax time again
Spotlight on Andrew Ascherl
ASI News
Find a volunteer job right for you
There are plenty of volunteer opportunities at ASI.
ASI’s new volunteer webpage is dedicated to highlighting the choices all in one place—from serving on a committee to presenting a webinar to keeping the website updated—so potential volunteers can match their skills and interests with an available task.
A mission of ASI President Shannon Li during her 2026–2027 tenure is fostering a culture of volunteerism. “ASI relies on a strong cohort of volunteers. New voices are always welcome, yet often in short supply,” she wrote in a release about the new page.
Each volunteer opportunity listed includes details of the work involved, the approximate monthly time commitment, and the contact person, so take a look. Shannon welcomes your interest and feedback via email.
Take a deep dive into embedded indexing
ASI’s newest Online Learning Course—on embedded indexing—takes place next month. The three-part course will be held Wednesdays, October 14, October 21, and October 28, 2026.
Instructor and longtime indexer Anne Fifer will break down what embedded indexing is and help indexers understand the complexities of the process as well as the software and tools available.
Session themes are:
- What is an embedded index?
- Tools for embedded indexing
- Advantages/disadvantages
Each session is approximately one hour.
Anne Fifer indexes trade books, encyclopedias, and medical books of various levels. She does embedded indexing using InDesign, Word, and WordEmbed.
For more details, including the course outline, and registration information, click here.
Sept. 16 Playground looks at subject specialties
The theme of ASI’s Indexing Playground on Wednesday, September 16, is subject specialties. Hosts will be Meghan Wagner, on environmental sciences; Mylinh Hamlington, on race/ethnicity/Indigenous studies; and Devon Thomas on literary criticism.
Participants can join whichever breakout room interests them and can move from one to another. The online gathering starts at 10 a.m. Pacific time, 1 p.m. Eastern time.
The Playgrounds are an opportunity for ASI members to informally gather online with peers to connect, compare notes, and swap ideas. No registration is necessary but watch for a Zoom link.
Indexing philosophy webinar: You have what it takes
Along with the assurance: “If you can index a book, you can index a philosophy book,” instructor Tom Kiefer offered attendees of the August webinar “Indexing Philosophy Books: Bringing lofty ideas (and indexes) down to Earth” a wealth of information about the history, concepts, terms, thought experiments, and theories indexers may encounter.
Tom explains why philosophy books are challenging, including abstract terms, fine distinctions between concepts like morality and ethics, and the use of foreign languages.
In addition to sharing his expansive knowledge of philosophy and specific philosophers, he prepares indexers with practical tips, shows sample sections of indexes he has worked on, and includes a checklist to use when confronting the challenges implicit in indexing this subject matter.
Long-term replays of the webinar are available for those who had registered, and webinar replays can also be purchased online.
Meghan Wagner takes up Key Words editorship
Meghan Wagner is the new editor of Key Words, ASI’s quarterly journal, beginning with the Fall issue (out soon).
Meghan, who has a PhD in earth and environmental sciences, is the proprietor of Two Eyes Editing and Indexing. To read more about Meghan’s background and interests, check out the See Also Spotlight she was featured in last year.
You can contact Meghan about Key Words via email.
We wish her the best in this new role.
Start thinking about Indexing Day
November 18 will mark the third National Indexing Day designated by the American Society for Indexing. The date was chosen as the anniversary of the first formal board meeting in 1968.
The Outreach Committee, chaired by Kimberly Israel, will lead the coverage of ASI’s National Indexing Day.
Join with other indexers in promoting the field and raising awareness of our work. A few ideas for posts: What was the most difficult book you’ve ever indexed? When have you used information learned from a book you indexed? How do you manage the balance among clarity, coverage, and conciseness? When have the needs of a particular book led to changes in your approach?
Keep an eye on the ASI website for more information, and get ready to share your own indexing stories!
Questions? Contact Kimberly Israel.
Chapters and SIGS
Tools and Workflows SIG holds first meeting Sept. 11
The Tools and Workflows Special Interest Group will hold its inaugural meeting on Friday, September 11, at 9 a.m. Pacific time (noon Eastern/5 p.m. British Summer Time). The theme will be data backups. Presenters will include Maria Sullivan, Sarah Scherr, and Elizabeth Bartmess. A Zoom link will be shared with members as the date approaches.
The new SIG will meet quarterly, offering programmed events on technology and processes for both indexing and the business of indexing. It is open to any member of ASI and its affiliated indexing societies. If you are interested in joining the SIG before its first meeting, visit the ASI Online Store.
Take a tour of library at botanic gardens
The Gardening/Environmental Studies Special Interest Group will hold a virtual tour of the Elisabeth C. Miller Library of the University of Washington Botanic Gardens on Thursday, September 24, at 10 a.m. Pacific/1 p.m. Eastern time.
This virtual presentation will be held on Zoom and will be open to members. A Zoom link will be sent out to members.
History/Archaeology SIG meets this month
The History/Archaeology Special Interest Group will hold an online gathering on Friday, September 25, at 2 p.m. Eastern time. Members will receive a Zoom link.
Visit the H/A SIG’s website for more details about the SIG.
Email Vickie Jacobs with questions.
Information about all of ASI’s SIGs and how to join is available online.
Associated Industry News
UK indexers plan November online conference
The 2026 conference of the Society of Indexers (UK), titled “On the Same Page: Indexers Embracing Collaboration,” will be held online November 11–12.
The conference sessions will highlight the advantages of indexers working together and the importance of professional relationships in the publishing, library, and information science worlds.
More information is available on the Society of Indexers website.
University conference: Ethics in publishing
The George Washington University Graduate Program in Publishing will host its 16th GW Ethics in Publishing Conference on October 23, 2026, with in-person and virtual presenters and attendees. It runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern time.
The theme this year is “Integrity by Design,” with presentations focusing on solutions to promote integrity in the profession and in the practice of publishing.
The conference is sponsored by a number of publishing organizations and is free of charge. More information and a registration link is available on this event webpage.
Business and Marketing
It’s tax time again
Reminder: Third-quarter 2026 estimated tax payments are due this month for indexers who are self-employed. Payments must be postmarked by September 15, 2026, or they can be paid online after a secure account has been set up.
If you miss an estimated tax payment deadline, make your payment as soon as you can, because the IRS charges penalties and interest depending on how much you owe and how late you are.
The IRS website has a section with IRS resources and guidelines for small businesses and self-employed workers.
Spotlight on Andrew Ascherl
This month’s Spotlight is on indexer Andrew Ascherl.
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?
Born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska, I have called Albuquerque, New Mexico, home for the last twenty-five years and consider myself a New Mexican. However, in June 2026 I relocated to Portland, Oregon, with my wife, Julie, and our cat, Creature. We just purchased a house, which we are very excited about. I also have two adult sons who live on their own.
What is your educational background?
I have a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts (aka “University Studies”) (2003) and a master’s degree in Comparative Literature & Cultural Studies (2005) from the University of New Mexico and a PhD in Comparative Literature from the University at Buffalo SUNY (2012).
Do you have any hobbies, travels, volunteer work, or other interesting things to share?
I love camping and hiking, and I am an avid skateboarder. I have recently picked up snowboarding but haven’t gone out for over a year due to lack of snow! I also am very dedicated to a regular fitness regime, primarily kettlebell workouts. I used to spend a lot of time gardening and keeping bees, but I have put those activities on hold while I make some large and necessary steps forward with my business. I generally stay active, lately spending many hours walking around Portland in an attempt to get better acquainted with my new home.
What kind of work did you do before you studied indexing? Are you still doing that or other work in addition to indexing?
I never formally studied indexing, but I was a working academic (in literature and cultural studies) for many years before getting into indexing as my full-time work. I left academia proper in 2014, and I believe I dodged a bullet in doing so. Along the way, I have done lots of editing work and translated seven books of philosophy and literary theory from Spanish to English. I am currently developing a next-generation indexing software.
What is a favorite strategy to help motivate or inspire when you are feeling stuck during a work project?
I go for a walk or ride my skateboard for a couple hours.
When did you start indexing? When did you join ASI?
I started indexing in 2014, but I only joined ASI a few months ago, in May.
For you, what is the best advantage of ASI membership?
I really enjoy the opportunity to communicate with professional peers. It’s funny to think that I operated in isolation from such a community for a dozen years before joining up. Glad I did!
Items to be considered for the See Also newsletter should be submitted by the 15th of the month before publication. For October 2026 issue, please email SeeAlsoEditor@asindexing.org by September 15. Thank you.