2009 Annual Conference

Scaling the Heights

Session Descriptions

SEMINAR 1: Terror without Tears
Level of climbing difficulty: Aconcagua
Presenter: Chip Reese

As the impact of terrorism has spread, so has the frequency that it appears as a subject in the books we index. This session serves as a terrorism primer for the names, organizations, laws, and events you are likely to see in your books. As indexers, we no longer need to fear terrorism.

SEMINAR 2: Metatopic Menace
Level of climbing difficulty: Aconcagua
Presenters: Kay Schlembach

Is it possible to master the metatopic? It is my opinion that taming the metatopic, both main and local, is the key to developing a stable index structure. We look at examples, discuss various approaches, and suggest several solutions to this challenge.

SEMINAR 3: One Index, Two Formats: Print vs. Web Indexes
Level of climbing difficulty: Aconcagua
Presenter: Julie McClung

Does your index information appear in both print and on-line format? In this quick presentation I will discuss the challenges of how to maximize the user-friendliness of online indexes, which can be customized for a wide variety of users, while at the same time remaining faithful to the print editions. Because parliamentary indexes of British Columbia Hansard debates appear in both print and online format, they make for an interesting comparison of how traditional print indexes and their Web counterparts can be presented, each for optimal user-friendliness and text searches, regardless of medium.

SEMINAR 4: How to Handle Illustrative Material
Level of climbing difficulty: Aconcagua
Presenter: Max McMaster

Illustrative material in texts serves one of two purposes. In the first instance it is an important adjunct to the text, whereas in the second it is there just as padding or a filler and can largely be ignored. I am concerned with the first scenario. This session will consider how to handle graphs, tables, figures, diagrams, photos, etc. Do you just consider the captions to these various features or should the indexer provide more in-depth analysis? Further, what is the most useful way of referring to these features in the index?

SEMINAR 5: Indexing Grammar
Level of climbing difficulty: Aconcagua
Presenter: Cheryl Landes

How do indexers use grammar in constructing index entries and subentries? Find out and share your own ideas during this discussion.

SEMINAR 6: A Is for Arbitrary
Level of climbing difficulty: Aconcagua
Presenter: Seth Maislin

Alphabetical order, despite its illusory appearance of being easy to implement, is a terrible way to organize things. We don’t think, talk, or act alphabetically, nor are we limited to the alphabet when we think, talk, and act. Let’s take 45 minutes to explore all of the other, better sorting options, learn how to implement them practically, and find lots of good excuses to abandon the boring A to Zzzzz.

SEMINAR 7: Morphing Many Books into One Taxonomy
Level of climbing difficulty: Aconcagua
Presenter: Alice Redmond-Neal

As more traditional print publishers migrate their content online, they seek alternative ways for searchers to find information. A taxonomy can provide the basis for transitioning from “What page for a reference?” to “What URL for a topic?” This session reviews our journey combining numerous individual book indexes across diverse topic areas into one comprehensive taxonomy to support online search. The transformation required appreciation for how the book indexes function and solid skills in taxonomy/thesaurus construction. We consider some of the unusual challenges in the task and see how the final product draws upon fundamental tenets in taxonomy construction.

SEMINAR 8: When and When Not to Index Notes
Level of climbing difficulty: Aconcagua
Presenter: Enid Zafran

“Oh, and please index the notes, too—some of them are really important,” your client tells you. What makes a note important? What makes it indexable? Enid Zafran will guide you through the head scratching.

SEMINAR 9: Web Design Using Web Hosts
Level of climbing difficulty: Aconcagua
Presenter: Mary Harper

Wish you had a website, but don’t know how to write HTML and don’t want to learn? Then this workshop might be of interest. This session will introduce you to the world of Web hosting. It will show you the basic steps to creating your own website using easy-to-learn Web design tools. Learn about common features and options that include multiple e-mail boxes and FTP sites. Google Adwords marketing handouts, provided by Janyne Ste. Marie, will also be available. A customized website adds a communication and advertising centerpiece to your freelance business.

SEMINAR 10: Indexing Negatives
Level of climbing difficulty: Aconcagua
Presenter: Pilar Wyman

Succinctly expressing negative information in an index entry can be really difficult. Is it better to describe the situation without attributing a positive or negative spin—or can that be misleading? This seminar will provide you with some useful options.

SEMINAR 11: When is a Name Indexable/Not Indexable?
Level of climbing difficulty: Aconcagua
Presenter: Max McMaster

Names, whether personal names, corporate names, place names or other proper names abound in many texts, but they don’t all need to be indexed. Deciding on when to include or exclude a name depends largely on the type of book in question and the intended audience. This session will look at a range of texts covering popular works, biographies, local histories, family histories, reports, high school texts, and professional and academic titles, and investigate when names should be included or ignored, and most importantly the reasons for the decisions.

SEMINAR 12: Acronyms
Level of climbing difficulty: Aconcagua
Presenter: Cheryl Landes

Acronyms are part of any indexer’s life, but how we index acronyms varies by discipline. Learn how indexers from a variety of backgrounds use acronyms in indexes during this lively discussion.

SEMINAR 13A: Bushwhacking, Parts I&II
Level of climbing difficulty: Aconcagua
Presenter: Thérèse Shere

In this session sponsored by the Gardening and Environmental Studies SIG, we’ll make our way through the thicket of indexing challenges in these burgeoning fields. We’ll discuss varied audiences and text types, fluid terminology, and handling of biota names. We’ll focus on how to make indexes as useful and user friendly as possible. A casual discussion format and plenty of real index examples in PDF format for easy viewing and searching will make for a lively session in which we can all learn from each other.

SEMINAR 14: The Copyeditor’s Worst Enemy: An Honest Look in the Mirror
Level of climbing difficulty: K2
Presenter: Carol Fisher Saller

Many copy editors have absorbed, along with the dos and don’ts of their stylebooks, an attitude that their way is the right way. But unlike the stickler who takes excessive pride in her knowledge of and reverence for “rules,” the successful editor puts the reader first, even if it means breaking rules along the way. This workshop will encourage copyeditors to take a close look at their superstitions, insecurities, and compulsions, and will suggest how to build an environment of trust and cooperation with the writer through habits of carefulness, transparency, and flexibility.

SEMINAR 15: SKY Index Professional v7.0: A Sneak Peek
Level of climbing difficulty: Aconcagua
Presenter: Kamm Schreiner

Kamm will demonstrate and discuss some of the new features in the upcoming version 7.0 of SKY Index Professional.

SEMINAR 16: How Much Are You Really Worth?
Level of climbing difficulty: Ben Nevis
Presenter: Nancy Humphreys

This workshop will offer you tools to evaluate both the worth of your business and the value of your life. When you value your business accurately, you’ll be better able to value yourself. When you value yourself fully, the worth of your business will grow. We’ll also cover mission statements, business models, and exit strategies. Free handouts will be provided. Even if you do not own your own indexing business, this workshop will give you a fresh perspective on your work and your life. Read her article, “How Many Hats Do You Wear?” in the January/March 2009 issue of Key Words before attending.

SEMINAR 17: Renaissance Indexing
Level of climbing difficulty: K2
Presenter: Martine Rocheleau

In 2001, the House of Commons launched a new integrated system to record, publish, manage and facilitate the retrieval of all parliamentary debates. Subsequently, the traditional in-depth subject indexes were replaced by an intelligence-based search engine. Components of this system include an indexing module, an extensive highly structured controlled vocabulary, and a powerful search engine. Information Management Officers, formerly experienced Parliamentary Indexers, work together with the authority list specialists to create the search engine’s backbone. This session will present today’s effective process of retrieving information from the parliamentary publications and reveal its mechanics and capabilities.

SEMINAR 18: Getting Started
Level of climbing difficulty: Ben Nevis
Presenter: Madge Walls

The most difficult thing for new indexers is getting out there and finding work. It’s time consuming, but not difficult if you have a plan. It can even be fun. Madge Walls will share her successful marketing plan with solid direction on how and where to find indexing work. You’ll walk away not only knowing what to do and how to do it, but excited to get started.

SEMINAR 19: The Visual Appeal of Indexes
Level of climbing difficulty: K2
Presenter: Frances Lennie

There is one aspect concerning quality in indexing that is often overlooked, that is, the visual appeal of the index. While structuring our indexes, writing the entries, and checking the page references, we should also be mindful of how the index might ultimately be displayed and its ease of use for the reader. We will examine decisions that indexers can and cannot control, and with the use of examples explore the visual merits of different layouts. Although concentrating on indexes destined for the print medium we will also take a brief look at electronic indexes.

SEMINAR 20: Peer Review
Level of climbing difficulty: Aconcagua
Moderator: Sherry Smith

Panelists: Scott Smiley, Martha Osgood, and Ann Yager A panel of Pacific Northwest Chapter members will demonstrate a peer review group at work. After providing an overview of the purpose and appropriate focus of peer review, the panel will review an index written by one of its members. A question-and-answer period, along with suggestions for establishing a successful group, will follow the demonstration.

SEMINAR 21: Using PDF Files to Jump Start an Indexing Project
Level of climbing difficulty: K2
Presenter: David Ream

Clients can often supply the book’s sections as PDF, Word, or typeset tagged file(s). This session will review case studies of how with some investment in an extraction program enables projects to be done in less time with more accuracy.

SEMINAR 22: Experience an Index Usability Test
Level of climbing difficulty: Ben Nevis
Presenter: Cheryl Landes

In 2003, members of the Pacific Northwest Chapter of ASI started an Index Comparison Project that has evolved into testing two of the indexes created for the same book by indexers with different background. The goal of the usability test is to determine which index readers prefer and why. We would like to conduct this test with any interested indexers to compare their feedback with readers from other backgrounds.

SEMINAR 23: Between Two Worlds: A Writer’s Perspective on Indexing
Level of climbing difficulty: Ben Nevis
Presenter: June Sawyers

Conventional wisdom dictates that indexing and writing involve two entirely different mindsets. In this presentation, I will offer a writer’s perspective on not only what makes a good index but also how being a writer affects the creation of an index. Using personal anecdotes, I will also offer a general commentary on the sometimes prickly relationship between author and indexer as well as discuss the similarities and differences between writing and indexing. As a prelude, I will feature a brief excerpt from a script I am working on in which the main character is an indexer in Southern California.

SEMINAR 24: Taxonomies to Internet 2.0
Level of climbing difficulty: Aconcagua
Presenter: Jenny Benevento

Library Science was quick to attempt indexing solutions on the early Web, but cataloging the increasing amount of information in diverse formats has become more difficult as time has gone on. User-generated tagging prevailed on many websites until recently. Learn how some websites are using traditional and faceted categorization online, and how indexers can put their skills to work on Web 2.0.

SEMINAR 25: Entrepreneurial Indexing
Level of climbing difficulty: Aconcagua
Presenter: Thérèse Shere

Have you ever thought of writing and marketing a standalone index? New opportunities and tools are making it easier for any indexer to become an entrepreneur on a shoestring. In this session, we’ll follow the development of one standalone indexing project from the seed of an idea to its fruition on the Web. In the context of the Knitfinder story, we’ll discuss the business planning process; possible business models; index content design, development and maintenance; technological tools and skills; potential income sources and e-commerce basics; marketing; intellectual property issues; and helpful resources for developing an idea of your own.

SEMINAR 26: Apples and Oranges
Level of climbing difficulty: Ben Nevis
Presenter: Sylvia Coates

This session explores the commonalities and differences found in the indexing process of various indexing niches. We will first discuss the basic indexing processes of thematic term selection and constructing the index structure that are commonalities throughout scholarly, textbook, tradebook, and embedded indexing. Next, focus will be on the substantial differences in the audience, scheduling, and format specifications required by university press indexing, non-university scholarly indexing, textbook indexing, tradebook indexing, and technical documentation indexing. The workshop’s primary objective will be to facilitate the ability to interact and work with different client types and to expand your client base and increase your income.

SEMINAR 27: Working with Authors and Editors
Level of climbing difficulty: K2
Moderator: Fred Leise

Panelists: Carol Fisher Saller; additional panelists to be announced Indexers don’t work in a vacuum—we have all types of clients, from publishing professionals to first-time authors. Fred Leise and Carol Fisher Saller will lead you through the process of working with authors and editors.

SEMINAR 28: CINDEX Updates
Level of climbing difficulty: Aconcagua
Presenters: Frances Lennie and Maria Sullivan

A look at what’s new with CINDEX™ for Windows and CINDEX™ for Mac, with a demonstration of techniques to improve your efficiency while entering and editing data.

POSTER 1: The Legal Indexing SIG
Presenter: Maria Sosnowski

Poster presentation about the ASI Legal Indexing SIG

POSTER 2: Presenting Your Chapter at Book Fairs
Presenter: Cheryl Landes

A very effective way to spread the word about indexing is for your chapter to set up a booth at a local or regional book fair. See a very successful example of how the Pacific Northwest Chapter has promoted itself at Wordstock in Portland and at the Montana Festival of the Book in Missoula. The exhibit we have used at both events will be on full display at the ASI conference.

POSTER 3: Humor about Indexing
Presenter: David K. Ream

While there are several websites that contain pages of written jokes et al. about indexing, this poster session presents cartoons and pictures collected over many years by the presenter.

To provide information or make a suggestion, send email to webmaster@asindexing.org
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