Canada’s Professional Society of Indexers Since 1977

The Indexing Society of Canada / Société canadienne d’indexation (ISC/SCI) is Canada’s national association of indexers.

We invite you to find an indexer for your project, read our publications, discover our conferences, events, and resources for indexers, find out about membership, and learn about the Society.

Find an indexer

Find an indexer who works in the subject area of your project.

Find resources

Find information about indexes, indexing practices, and training in indexing.

Attend an event

Attend a local meeting of indexers or attend the annual conference.

Become a member

Join the Society and enjoy the benefits of membership.

Featured Post

What practices will help me with good index term selection?

Term selection is a key factor that determines the quality and usability of an index. Good index terms are clear, … […]

Upcoming Events

ISC/SCI Members Receive the DReam to Index Scholarship

Indexing Society of Canada

Congratulations to Matthew MacLellan, Jessica MacLeod, and Laurel Rush of ISC/SCI, and Heather Pendley of ASI on their win of the DReam to Index Scholarship.

From the DReam to Index team:

The four recipients of 2022 DReam to Index scholarships intend to use the funds for either the Indexing Society of Canada (ISC/SCI) virtual conference (scheduled for May 12–14) or for the American Society for Indexing (ASI) virtual conference (scheduled for April 29–30).  

In 2018, the Friends of Dave established a fund to honor David K. Ream who passed away at the end of 2017.  Dave, who was well known throughout the indexing communities of the world, provided computer-programming, database construction, and typesetting to indexers and abstractors for more than 30 years. Dave gave so much to the field of indexing and was especially interested in helping indexers succeed in their work.  That is why we have chosen to honor him by recognizing new people coming to the field and helping them on their indexing journey.

Thank you to all of the contestants who applied for the 2022 scholarship. Friends of Dave wish much success to them all in their future indexing careers.

The recipients of future DReam to Index scholarships can apply the funds to national conferences of the American Society for Indexing, Society of Indexers, Indexing Society of Canada, Australian and New Zealand Society of Indexers, or Association of South African Indexers and Bibliographers. In 2023, the DReam to Index scholarships will be offered for the final time using the same criteria – for more information about Dave Ream and the scholarships please see www.dreamtoindex.com.

ISC/SCI Has a New Co-President

Indexing Society of Canada

Changes afoot …! The executive committee has accepted Jason’s resignation and asked Tere Mullin to step up from her position as Eastern Region representative to become co-president with Alexandra Peace.

Please join me in wishing Jason well and welcoming Tere to her new position.

Jason Begy

After a wonderful nine or so months of serving as co-president with Alex, I am stepping down. A career opportunity has come up that is simply too good for me to pass on, but it will require all of my focus and attention. The ISC/SCI has been an invaluable aspect of my indexing career, and I have especially enjoyed these past few years as part of the executive committee. I leave you in Alex’s exceptionally capable hands, and I hope you’ll join me in welcoming Tere Mullin as she steps-in to take over for me.

Tere Mullin

Dear Colleagues and Friends,

It’s lovely to be saying hello to you as your new co-president. I’m honoured and delighted to have this opportunity, and I’m very much looking forward to serving you as I learn and grow within this role.

I am relatively new to indexing, having started working full-time in early 2021. I enjoy working in a variety of scholarly subject areas within the humanities and social sciences, particularly archaeology and anthropology. Although I came to indexing quite by accident, as many people seem to, I now can’t imagine doing anything else. My involvement with ISC/ISC has grown in tandem with my indexing practice, and I’ve had the privilege of serving as Eastern regional representative and coordinator of the Mary Newberry Mentorship Program. I feel truly fortunate to be a member of this supportive and dynamic community, and I hope to pay it forward. I look forward to meeting you all at the next get-together. Until then, I wish you all a joyous spring!

New Indexer Resources Page

Indexing Society of Canada

The New Indexers’ Resources Committee (NIRC) is happy to announce the launch of its New Indexer Resources page!

The New Indexer Resources page will be accessible via the ISC/SCI website, indexers.ca, and will provide answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs), as well as links to external resources. New and aspiring indexers will find a wealth of information on topics such as client relations, money management, software, taxes, and much more.

Content on the page will continue to grow as FAQs are added, and visitors are encouraged to submit their own questions and/or answers if they so wish. Our hope is that the page evolves based on users’ needs.

Call for Submissions: ISC/SCI Ewart-Daveluy Award for Excellence in Indexing 2022

Indexing Society of Canada

Registration deadline: Tuesday, March 15, 2022

Submissions are open! The application has never been easier.

  • It’s all online.
  • You don’t need a hard copy — a PDF of the published book AND/OR the PDF sent to you by the publisher plus your Word/RTF file of the index.
  • The cost is only $30.
  • We provide feedback for up to three runners-up.
  • Eligibility rules have changed.

If you are an indexer who is a Canadian citizen or a Canadian resident, you are eligible. If you are not a Canadian citizen or resident, you are eligible if you were a member of ISC/SCI at the time you wrote the index.

No restriction to the subject matter or genre — textbooks, cookbooks, guidebooks, memoirs, art books, how-to books, travel books, all books — it’s your index we will be looking at.

Show us how you creatively overcame challenges, resulting in an outstanding, well-structured, easy-to-navigate, clear and comprehensive guide for all of its users.

Give us a challenge. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Maybe you’ll get the prize (which won’t happen if you don’t apply). And if not, you’re very likely to get expert confidential feedback. That’s worth a lot.

This year you can submit indexes published in 2020 and 2021.

The deadline for submissions is March 15, 2022. Please see the awards page for guidelines, criteria, and the submission form.

Conference Registration Now Open

Indexing Society of Canada

Registration for the 2022 ISC/SCI Annual Conference “Past Perfect, Future Progressive” is now open.

The virtual conference is taking place May 13-14, 2022, with an optional Fireside Chat for new indexers on May 12.

Take advantage of these early bird rates:

  • Members (including ASI, ANSZI, SI, all other affiliates and Editors Canada): $100
  • Non-members: $140
  • Special rate for eligible full-time students: $40
  • Optional Fireside Chat for new indexers: $10

All prices are in Canadian Dollars.

The conference speakers are covering a variety of topics to help you improve your indexing practice, make your business thrive, and expand your knowledge of issues pertinent to our industry. Visit the conference page for details and registration.

There will be plenty of opportunities to meet up with old friends and chat with new ones.

Register now before Early Bird pricing ends April 30.