Invitation

The joint organizing committees of the American Society of Indexers (ASI) and the Indexing and Abstracting Society of Canada/Societe canadienne pour l'analyse de documents (IASC/SCAD) invite you to attend Northern Entries, the 2003 Joint ASI - IASC/SCAD Annual Meeting, to be held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, June 19-21, in Vancouver, BC.

This is only the second time in the history of the two societies that a joint meeting has been organized: the first was in 1995 in Montreal.

This year's conference structure differs a little from those in the recent past. There are still concurrent specialist (breakout) and general interest (plenary) sessions, a luncheon at which awards will be presented, and the usual opportunities to network with colleagues. There will, however, be separate pre-conference workshops aimed at different experience levels to pursue topics in considerable detail. The conference itself will start with a dinner for all attendees - a grand opportunity for everyone to gather together for an evening of good company, good food and an entertaining opening keynote address.

This year's breakout session topics will help you hone your existing indexing skills and expand your professional horizons. Beginning indexers will find many sessions to develop and refine their technique. Experienced indexers looking for new outlets for their considerable expertise will be tempted by sessions on abstracting, taxonomy and training, topics not often covered at annual meetings. Indexers who also provide editorial services will find sessions relevant to both activities.

From time to time we all need to sit back and remind ourselves of our obligations to, and needs of, the index user. Several plenary sessions will allow us to do just that. These are must-attend sessions for every attendee and sure to generate discussion long after the conference has concluded.

To help us on our way, our closing keynote speaker will explore with us why we became indexers and provide practical ways in which we can find more joy in our work.

For the first time there will be a Software Fair (described later in the program) at which you can explore many of the tools of our trade. And, to help you orient yourself to products other than dedicated indexing software, we have commissioned an independent review so you can match your needs to the right tools.

We look forward to seeing you this coming June in Vancouver, BC
~ Frances S. Lennie
~ Judy Dunlop
on behalf of the ASI - IASC/SCAD joint organizing committees