ASI News
—Spread the word about ASI and reap the benefits
—New ASI webinar will explore diacritics in SKY software
—Inaugural Playground takes place this month
Chapters and SIGS
—Digital Publications SIG meets August 10
Associated Industry News
—Award recognizes ISC/SCI member’s service
—Society of Indexers plans conference
Business and Marketing
—Job business travel and vacation with care
Spotlight on Johnna Dinse
ASI News
Spread the word about ASI and reap the benefits
Professional development and training; marketing opportunities; networking through online discussion groups, chapter and special interest group meetings; and access to publications, including Key Words, are among the benefits of ASI membership.
You can help ASI grow by sharing details about these benefits to recruit new members. And there is something in it for everyone:
- Current ASI members who refer an indexer to ASI—and that person joins—are eligible to win a tote bag with the ASI logo or one free webinar replay of their choice.
- Recruited new members will receive an ASI membership pin and one free webinar replay.
Full details about the Membership Referral Program are available here.
“The best thing about being a member of ASI is the community—having a group who can help with ideas, answers, and encouragement!” —Meridith Murray
New ASI webinar will explore diacritics in SKY software
September 13 with Ælfwine Mischler
Working with diacritics more effectively in SKY software will be the focus of a new ASI webinar on September 13, 2023.
Longtime SKY user Ælfwine Mischler will demonstrate how to efficiently get diacritics from the original document into your index using the Character Map and Translation Manager, in both SKY v7 and SKY v8.
ASI members can register for $19, which includes long-term access to replays of the webinar. Non-members can register for $59. Complete details and registration information are available here.
Inaugural Playground takes place this month
Take a break and relax on the Indexing Playground. ASI's new program gives indexers a place to connect in an informal setting. No sneakers needed!
The first gathering will be on August 9, 2023, (10:00 a.m. Pacific/ 1:00 p.m. Eastern time) on Zoom, with breakout groups for:
- Side hustle indexers—hosted by Michele Combs.
- BIPOC indexers—hosted by Mylinh Hamlington.
- Parenting indexers—hosted by Shannon Li.
- Indexers planning ahead for retirement—hosted by Carolyn Weaver.
- Recess (free-range chat)—hosted by John Magee.
No advance registration is necessary. ASI members will receive a Zoom link before the meeting starts.
Chapters and SIGS
Digital Publications SIG meets August 10
The Digital Publications Indexing SIG will hold its next online meeting on August 10, 2023, at 9:00 a.m. Pacific/noon Eastern time. This SIG focuses on indexes in digital formats, including embedded-tag indexing and indexes for e-books and the web.
If you are already a member, you will receive a Zoom link. For information about joining, visit DPI or email.
Information about all of ASI’s SIGs is available here. Please share news about your SIG with See Also.
Associated Industry News
Award recognizes ISC/SCI member’s service
The Indexing Society of Canada / Société canadienne d’indexation (ISC/SCI) has awarded Ronnie Seagren its Tamarack Award, recognizing her dedication to the organization, especially in her focus on diversity and inclusion in indexing.
In addition, ISC/SCI has recently named its executive committee, with Jolanta Komornicka and Maggie Billard as co-presidents. The positions are held for two-year terms.
Society of Indexers plans conference
The Society of Indexers returns to an in-person conference with "Bring the outside in: expand your indexing horizons," on September 26, 2023, in Leeds, England. All the details are available here.
Business and Marketing
Job business travel and vacation with care
If you are traveling this summer for a professional development opportunity but also tacking on a vacation with family or friends, some of your expenses may still be tax deductible.
But it's a fine line, as the Freelancers Union points out in its Summer Travel 101 blog post. It is crucial to understand, CPA Jonathan Medows points out, what constitutes IRS-sanctioned "ordinary and necessary" business travel expenses. A vacation, he writes, is: "A trip where you don’t spend the majority of your days doing business. Or a business trip you can't back up with correct documentation." This is why the post also emphasizes the importance of good recordkeeping.
Safe travels!
Spotlight on Johnna Dinse
This month’s Spotlight is on Johnna Dinse, a freelance book indexer and a member of ASI’s board of directors. She can be reached via email.
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 currently live in Indianapolis, having grown up in Wabash, a small town in north central Indiana. I live with my husband and cat. My husband is also a freelance publishing professional, and my cat has lots of imaginary jobs and lives.
What is your educational background?
I have a degree in computer science from Ball State, in Muncie, Indiana.
Do you have any hobbies, travels, volunteer work, or other interesting things to share?
I knit, and sometimes I spin my own yarn. I also dabble in drawing and painting. My husband and I really enjoy finding new nature-preserve type places to hike and walk. A perfect afternoon looks like a walk in the woods followed by a trip to the bookstore.
What kind of work did you do before you studied indexing? Are you still doing that or other work in addition to indexing?
My early career was in document production and design at a bank, a trade association management firm, an accounting firm, and a clinical trials lab. In 1990, I applied to Macmillan Computer Publishing after seeing an ad calling for page layout techs, copyeditors, and proofreaders. I started as a proofreader, with the intention of moving toward layout tech, but got sidetracked when I met the indexers. Who knew people actually did that?
What is a favorite strategy to help motivate or inspire when you are feeling stuck during a work project?
I take a break for a quick walk or engage in one of my hobbies.
When did you start indexing? When did you join ASI?
I started indexing in 1991, but didn’t join ASI until after I became a freelancer in 1998.
For you, what is the best advantage of ASI membership?
Contacts with other indexers and job leads. The educational offerings come in at a close second.
Items to be considered for the See Also newsletter should be submitted by the 15th of the month before publication. For September 2023 issue, please email SeeAlsoEditor@asindexing.org by August 15. Thank you.
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