ASI News
—Learn how building mentorship nurtures your business
—Spring Into Action!: ASI's annual conference
—Playground: Explore various client types
—ASI board candidates up for vote
—Submit Hines Award nominations
—Key Words correction
Chapters and SIGS
—Gardening SIG: Next meeting, new webmasters
Associated Industry News
—ISC/SCI conference program set
—Celebrating indexing in UK
Spotlight on Jean Skipp
ASI News
Learn how building mentorship nurtures your business
Building a productive mentorship will be the focus of ASI's webinar on March 19, 2025. The program, with Carlisle Froese, starts at 10 a.m. Pacific / 1 p.m. Eastern time.
Mentorship is an effective tool in improving or acquiring skills in indexing, but it can be challenging to establish this type of relationship outside of an organized program. This webinar explores steps in establishing a successful independent mentorship. It will focus on:
- Gaining tools for successful partnerships that enhance your indexing process and save you time.
- Understanding how to establish, plan for, and approach a mentor/mentee relationship that is beneficial for everyone involved.
- Learning how improving existing, acquiring new, and sharing skills through mentorships enhances your indexing business and the industry as a whole.
Presenter Carlisle has been an indexer for over half a decade and chaired the ISC/SCI's Mary Newberry Mentorship program for three years.
Find registration information here.
Spring Into Action!: ASI's annual conference
“Spring Into Action!” at ASI's 2025 annual conference with hands-on sessions and speakers for indexers of all experience levels. The online event will be held on April 25-26, with an intermediate/advanced pre-conference workshop on April 24.
Presenters will address real-world indexing issues and challenges and provide best practices and fresh approaches for dealing with them. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn new practical skills, enhance existing ones, and discover unexpected avenues for running a freelance business. There will also be networking opportunities.
Tune in for indexing techniques and business know-how on:
- Strategies for booking projects
- Scripture and ancient sources indexing
- Indexing and Generative AI
- Invigorating your ASI Chapter
- Cross-references and double-posting
- Legislation impacting U.S.-based publishers and the freelancers they hire.
More details are available here, and registration opens soon.
Playground: Explore various client types
When ASI members gather online on March 12 for the next Indexing Playground, the focus will be on client types. It kicks off at 10 a.m. Pacific / 1 p.m. Eastern time.
The Playground gives ASI members a chance to get together to discuss indexing and running a business. At this one, attendees can chat about the client types they enjoy or the ones they would like to learn more about.
In each room, a host will welcome indexers and get the ball rolling:
- Authors with a publisher—Johnna Dinse
- Self-publishing authors—Amy Hall
- Trade publishers—Nan Badgett
- University presses/scholarly publishers—Jola Komornicka
You are welcome to stay in one room or move to others.
Watch your email for the Zoom link about a week before. More information is here.
ASI board candidates up for vote
The Nominating Committee has announced its slate of candidates for positions on the ASI Board of Directors. Voting takes place until 5 p.m. Pacific time on April 10, 2025.
President-elect: Shannon Li
Treasurer: Cheryl Lenser
Directors at Large: Elizabeth Bartmess and Marta Steele
A ballot and full information about these candidates is here. ASI members need to log in to access the candidate page and ballot.
The Nominating Committee had several goals when working to put together the slate of candidates, including the development of a strong Board of Directors that will function well as a whole while also representing the diversity of ASI members and their views; broadening the number of people who are included in ASI leadership at all levels; and ensuring that ASI will continue to have active members with board experience who are willing to take on future leadership roles at the highest levels.
Newly elected candidates will take office at ASI's Annual Meeting on May 17, 2025.
Submit Hines Award nominations
There is still time to nominate deserving indexers for the 2025 Hines Award. The deadline is March 15. The award recognizes indexers who have dedicated significant time and service to ASI and to the indexing profession.
Nominees should demonstrate a long-term and ongoing commitment through service as an officer, as a board member, or in other leadership roles at the national level and/or within chapters and SIGs. Other contributions worthy of note include active participation in national and regional conferences, website management, publications, committees, etc.
The person submitting the nomination should also solicit letters of recommendation to supplement the nomination. The letters and nomination combined should demonstrate the breadth and length of a nominee's service and should detail the contributions made by the nominee to ASI.
Full details are here.
The award, if given, will be presented at the ASI Annual Meeting. While the nomination process is open every year, the award is only given in years when the nomination and recommendation letters demonstrate that a nominee has made exceptional contributions to ASI.
Nominations, or any questions, can be sent to Hines Committee chairperson Fred Leise by the deadline.
Key Words correction
In the Winter 2024 issue of Key Words, the section of page 12 that reads "Expect differences with entering and indexing foreign names" should have had a note explaining that Leonardo da Vinci would be indexed under "Leonardo" rather than "Vinci." Key Words regrets the error.
Chapters and SIGS
Gardening SIG: Next meeting, new webmasters
The Gardening/Environmental Studies SIG, now under the leadership of Lisa Ryan, will meet online on March 6, at 10 a.m. Pacific time / 1 p.m. Eastern time. This is an opportunity for members to connect and network, while sharing ideas about the field.
The SIG also has two new webmasters. Kelly Jones will be working with Laura Abed to maintain and update the SIG's website, where you can find more information about group membership and its resources.
Information about all of ASI's SIGs is available here.
Please share news about your SIG with See Also.
Associated Industry News
ISC/SCI conference program set
The Indexing Society of Canada/Société canadienne d'indexation (ISC/SCI) will hold its annual conference on May 30-31, 2025. The in-person event will be held at the University of British Columbia campus in Vancouver. The theme is “Location! Location! Location!”
The two-day program will include sessions on indexing and on running an index business and features a keynote by Rhonda Kronyk on Gregory Younging's Elements of Indigenous Style. Rhonda is project coordinator for the Indigenous Editors Association.
Full information on the conference program, lodging options, and sightseeing is available here.
Celebrating indexing in UK
The Society of Indexers (SI) will celebrate National Indexing Day 2025 in the United Kingdom on March 27.
The annual event celebrates and raises awareness about the value of indexes. It includes a workshop at The Publishers Association in London.
ASI wishes SI a successful National Indexing Day.
Spotlight on Jean Skipp
This month's Spotlight is on Jean Skipp, owner of Includes Index.
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 Exton, Pennsylvania (about 35 miles west of Philadelphia) with my husband. Right now, we do not have any pets but have had a number of different cats over the years. I grew up in the Hartford, Connecticut, area until I left for graduate school and work. Subsequently, I ended up living in Florida, Kentucky, and Kansas before settling in Pennsylvania about 35 years ago. My sons and grandsons live close by, and I have a daughter who lives and works in Denver.
What is your educational background?
I have a BS degree from the University of Connecticut and an MSLS degree from the University of Kentucky.
Do you have any hobbies, travels, volunteer work, or other interesting things to share?
Hobbies consist mostly of reading and trying to keep my plants alive.
What kind of work did you do before you studied indexing? Are you still doing that or other work in addition to indexing?
Prior to establishing Includes Index, I was an archivist, rare book/special collections librarian, and a cataloguer. I have also been a bookseller and worked for two e-commerce sites that were adding books to their offerings. Additionally, I have worked for the postal service and had a parimutuel license (type of wagering) for a few years before going to graduate school.
What is a favorite strategy to help motivate or inspire when you are feeling stuck during a work project?
When I get stuck on a project, my best strategy is to stop working on it for a bit. I go off to make a cup of tea, get something to eat, maybe take a walk, or do some laundry. By the time I get back to my computer, my head has resolved or let go of whatever was causing me consternation.
When did you start indexing? When did you join ASI?
I started thinking about being an indexer around 1999-2000. Around 2003, I joined ASI as soon as I established my freelance business and bought SKY software to get started. My website is currently pretty basic, but I am trying to update it when I have the time.
For you, what is the best advantage of ASI membership?
The best advantage of ASI membership are the conferences and workshops. I enjoy attending them whenever I can. It's good to know there are resources out there that are helpful and fun to do.
Items to be considered for the See Also newsletter should be submitted by the 15th of the month before publication. For April 2025 issue, please email SeeAlsoEditor@asindexing.org by March 15. Thank you.
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