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ASI Online Learning Course: Indexing Art Books

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A three-part course with Theresa Duran. Presented on October 11, 18, and 25, 2023.

Art books represent a thriving segment of the publishing industry. They encompass a variety of book categories—from coffee-table books to exhibition catalogues to academic or technical studies—and an even greater array of subjects. What art books all have in common is an abundance of illustrations. The indexer must understand the conventions pertaining to specific types of artworks and the expectations that clients might have about the indexing of images.

This three-part course offers a comprehensive guide to the glorious world of art books. It begins with an overview of the field, then dives straight into the thicket of artist names, art titles, captions, and illustration locators. It wraps up with practical tips and strategies for avoiding clashes with clients, troubleshooting common problems (particularly index length restrictions), and finding work. Each session is filled with examples from actual art books. Additional examples and resources are included in the handout.

The course is designed to benefit both novice indexers who are interested in breaking into the field and experienced indexers who would like to hone their skills and gain confidence in their approach. Some of the tactics covered can be applied to books in other disciplines.

Course Overview

Session 1
Art Books: The Big Picture
  • My background in art publishing
  • Types of art books and their challenges
  • Types of art publishers and indexing clients
  • Q&A
Session 2
Artworks, Artists, and Locators
  • Common image organization schemes
  • A to Z of art captions
  • Illustration locators
  • Treatment of art titles
  • Treatment of artists
  • Q&A
Session 3
Projects: Getting Started, Troubleshooting, Finding Work
  • Questions to ask at the start of a project
  • Managing length restrictions
  • Setting rates and bidding on projects
  • Getting established in the field
  • Resources
  • Q&A

Please note: Attendance at the live sessions is not required. Registration entitles you to “on demand” access to the course and unlimited repeat viewings after the initial sessions have aired.

About our Presenter
Theresa Duran, PhD, is a former staff editor at a publishing house that specialized in art books, calendars, and other products for museum gift shops. She left that position in 2005 to become a full-time freelancer, offering indexing, copyediting, and proofreading services. In the past few years, Theresa has come to focus on the indexing of art books. A resident of Marin County, California, she is the current president of the American Society for Indexing (2023–24).

For more information and to register: https://www.asindexing.org/online-learning/art-duran/. ISC/SCI members have access to a discount code for this course in the Member Dashboard.

Conference Success in St. John’s, NL

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Our June 9-10 conference in St. John’s was attended by 40 people from across Canada and US, England, Switzerland, and Australia. We met old friends and made new ones as we laughed, learned, and shared experiences and encouragement.

You can find more photos in our conference album on Flickr.

On Sunday, June 11, many attendees stayed around to attend a Live Indexing workshop given by Stephen Ullstrom, winner of multiple indexing awards, and author of Book Indexing: A Step-By-Step Guide.

For many people, a visit to Newfoundland is a rare treat. To make sure the attendees would get the most from their trip, two pre-conference tours were organized. On June 7, a group took a Bird the Rock tour to the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve, home to more than four million breeding seabirds and North America’s largest colony of Atlantic Puffins. Then the next day, an even larger group took an Iceberg Quest tour through the St. John’s harbour out to Cape Spear, North America’s most eastern point.

Thank you to the conference committee headed by Alexandra Peace, with Lisa Fedorak, JoAnne Burek, Maura Blain Brown, Mercedes Brian, Maggie Billard, and Brittany Vesterback for your work in planning and organizing this successful event.

Thank you also to the Executive Committee of the ISC/SCI for setting aside conference scholarship funds for three new indexers.

Thank you, all of you wonderful businesses, for providing give-aways and door prizes.

  • Breakwater Books
  • Claire Wilkshire
  • Murray Premises Hotel
  • Riddle Fence magazine
  • Destination St. John’s

Thank you, attendees, for your enthusiasm and participation. And an extra-big thank you if you filled out the conference survey. Your input and comments will be of enormous help to future conference committees. Look for a full conference report in the next issue of The Bulletin.

Early Bird Conference Pricing Ends Sunday

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Time is running out if you want to save on your registration for the ISC/SCI conference in St. John’s, Newfoundland. Register by Sunday, April 30 to receive the Early Bird discount on your conference registration.

Register today for the June 9-10 Conference as well as any of these optional events:

  • Wednesday, June 7, 2023 Puffin-Palooza – A boat tour to the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve, home to more than four million breeding seabirds and North America’s largest colony of Atlantic Puffins.
  • Thursday, June 8, 2023 Iceberg Quest – Experience Cape Spear, Cabot Tower, and Fort Amherst from the sea, in an area that has the world’s largest concentration of humpback whales.
  • Thursday, June 8, 2023 Fireside Chat – A one hour session for new indexers. Bring your burning questions about transitioning from student to practicing indexer.
  • Friday, June 9, 2023 Awards Banquet – Meet and socialize with your colleagues and their guests, and celebrate the winners of the Ewart-Daveluy award for excellence in indexing and the Tamarack award for service to ISC/SCI.
  • Sunday, June 11, 2023 Live Indexing Workshop – Award-winning indexer Stephen Ullstrom will index a scholarly article he has not previously read, and discuss his process as he works.

Visit the conference page for more details.

Conference Registration Now Open

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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.