Scaling the Heights
April 23–25, 2009
DoubleTree - Lloyd Center Hotel
Portland, Oregon
Welcome to ASI Conference Central, the webpage where you'll find everything you need to know about our 2009 conference and annual meeting. My name is Kate Mertes, and I'm the president-elect of ASI and the conference planner for Portland. If you have a question about the conference program, please contact me at kmertes@hotmail.com. If you have general questions about ASI or about administrative issues, please contact the friendly folks at ASI headquarters at info@asindexing.org. We're working hard on a very exciting program that will entertain, interest, inform, and inspire indexers of all backgrounds and levels of experience.
The theme of this year's conference, in the shadow of Oregon's Mount Hood, is “Scaling the Heights.” Mountaineering is one of my favorite subjects, and I've read many books about the many attempts to climb Mount Everest. While sitting in front of a computer screen entering index entries or curled up on the couch marking up text doesn't physically resemble fixing a climbing rope to a narrow precipice or cutting steps into a steep ice slope with an axe, mentally it requires many of the same skills: tenacity, attention to detail, familiarity with the terrain, the right tools, a winning attitude, and the ability to think and react when the situation suddenly changes, whether you're hurtling down the side of a revised deadline or off the Laotse Face. Our conference's aim is to help you hone the indexing skills that will let you scale the heights, whether you're a beginner on Ben Nevis or a veteran forging a new route up K2.
Mountaineers say that getting to the top is only halfway. You also want to get down alive and in one piece. And just like climbers, indexers have another challenge once we've gotten the index finished: we have to be good business people as well as good indexers. Seminars on marketing, negotiation, and new opportunities will help you get yourself into base camp safely.
And once you're safely back in base camp, it's a good idea to have some fun! The ASI conference is also a great way to meet other indexers, and provides good social and networking opportunities. It's great to get the chance to talk to other people who do what you do—a rarity for many of us. The conference also serves as a good base for building a vacation. Portland, in the heart of the Pacific Northwest, is an exciting city with lots to see and do.
So come join us in Portland this coming spring! The presentation submissions period is now closed, but if you've got an interesting skill, business tip, or project that lends itself to visual presentation, think about creating a poster to display in our exhibits hall. Poster proposals may be submitted through March 2009. Just fill out and submit a proposal. I'll be writing a monthly news and notes feature with additional material about Portland in general and conference plans in particular; below you'll find a mini-index for topics in each posting. We'll also be adding more information about the hotel, registration, and eventually the full program as our plans firm up, so check back frequently to this page for additional posts. So start polishing your hiking boots in time for the spring thaw!
Download Preliminary Program