Members

How to Start a Member-Initiated Group

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A member-initiated group (MIG) is managed and led by an ISC/SCI member, not necessarily a committee or executive committee member, for the purpose of learning and networking with other members. Examples: a group studying a software manual or a discussion group on an indexing book.

MIGs provide opportunities for members to learn, communicate and collaborate with each other. It’s one more benefit of membership.

MIGs have two possible structures:

An open group that members can drop in and out of at any time

A group that members can join by a certain date, and after that date, the group is full (e.g., for a book discussion)

The group may only be initiated by an ISC/SCI member, but the group may have non-ISC/SCI members.

To start a group, first put out a call for participants on the ISC/SCI email list (ISC-L). Then contact your regional representative. Together with your regional rep, you will fill out a form and find and reserve a slot for meetings on our Zoom platform.

ISC/SCI Has a New Co-President

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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!

2021-2022 Diversity in Canadian Publishing Bursary Award: datejie cheko green

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This month the Indexing Society of Canada / Société canadienne d’indexation (ISC/SCI) announced that datejie cheko green is the winner of the 2021-2022 ISC/SCI Diversity in Canadian Publishing Bursary Award.

datejie is a journalist, digital consultant, and interdisciplinary scholar whose knowledge production spans genres and sectors. Her research interests include decolonial and environmental movements with a focus on uncovering and translating the histories of systems, structures and relations that have led to inequalities today. She has been a union organizer for freelancers, equity-seeking journalists and knowledge workers in Canada and the US, leading her further into projects innovating digital justice.

Since entering journalism through community radio, datejie has tracked gaps and opportunities for more cohesive creation, publication and preservation of the work and works of marginalized peoples – as journalists, and as news subjects. Her early interests in archiving radio and film led her to self study and training of research methods, cataloguing systems, digital asset management software, metadata practices, national and international preservation standards and protocols. 

Looking back at history and forward to posterity, datejie’s current work seeks to address the contemporary urgency for digital literacy, media literacy, news literacy through radical, collective and community-minded publishing, preservation, and archiving. She is presently developing news programming and teaching modules focused by, for and about Black journalists. 

With this bursary, ISC/SCI aims to help achieve equality of opportunity for aspiring indexers belonging to underrepresented and/or marginalized groups. The bursary covers fees for an approved indexing program, two years of ISC membership with listing, and entry into the Mary Newberry Mentorship program.

In addition, six 6-month trial memberships were awarded to Sarah Kahale (BC), Alexander Benmerrouche (SK), Ashley Lavadinho (ON), Jude Klaassen (QC), Fenrir Cerebellion (BC), and Mieke Leigh (BC).

View press release.

2021 Tamarack Award: Siusan Moffat

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Toronto: The Indexing Society of Canada / Société canadienne d’indexation (ISC/SCI) is pleased to announce the 2021 recipient of the Tamarack Award. Siusan Moffat (Toronto) is being recognized for her contribution and commitment to the society.

Siusan was chosen for her drive to help ISC/SCI be more representative of the diversity present in Canada. Siusan’s colleagues had the following to say about her:

She took the Truth and Reconciliation Commission work to heart, and used her passionate energy to found The Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Committee (TIDE). She has consistently looked for ways to get the word out about indexing to people from marginalized or otherwise underrepresented groups who might be interested.

The TIDE committee is accomplishing something wonderful, and this is thanks in large part to Siusan—from Bulletin articles to webinars to the Diversity in Canadian Publishing Bursary, now seeing its second year. Thank you, Siusan, for your hard work that is affecting real people. And thank you for so positively affecting me, as a colleague, team member, and friend.

She was additionally a hard-working and diligent member of the Executive Committee, and in every instance, I found her to be a kind and compassionate colleague to work with.

“I am thrilled to present this award to Siusan, and we are honoured to have her as a member of our society,” said Alexandra Peace, President. “Thank you, Siusan, for all you have given to the society and its membership.”

The Tamarack Award was instituted to recognize members who go “above and beyond the call of duty” in their volunteer work for the Society.