Applications are Open for the Mary Newberry Mentorship Program!

Stephen Ullstrom and Linda Christian, coordinators for the program, are excited to announce that the Mary Newberry Mentorship Program is now open to receive applications.

As announced at the ISC/SCI AGM in June 2018, this is a new initiative to help both new and mature indexers develop their skills and businesses, to promote excellence in indexing, and to foster relationships within the society.

This is also our first call for applications.

A few points to note:

  • Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis, and will be treated on a first-come-first-serve basis. So get your applications in early.
  • We will do our best to find an appropriate mentor, though we cannot guarantee a match or that a mentor will be available right away. We will reply within 30 days, at the latest, about the status of your application and whether we have been able to find a mentor.
  • As this will be the first cohort, we will be capping the number of concurrent mentorships at six. This cap may change in the future as the program progresses.
  • More information about the program is available at www.indexers.ca/mentorship.
  • To apply, please fill out and submit the application form and the career development exercise to mentorship@indexers.ca. The forms are also available at www.indexers.ca/mentorship.
  • Mentees accepted into the program will pay a $100 fee. This will be due after the mentee has been matched with a mentor.

Please ask if you have any questions. We are happy to answer.

We look forward to receiving your applications, and to fruitful mentorships.

Press Release: Mary Newberry Mentorship Program

Today we made the great announcement to our industry contacts and affiliated societies. The press release is below.

Included in the announcement is our new web page for the mentorship program.

Toronto, Canada, September 4, 2018

ISC/SCI announces mentorship program for indexers

The Indexing Society of Canada / Société canadienne d’indexation (ISC/SCI) is excited to announce the development of the Mary Newberry Mentorship Program.

The voluntary program will assist new indexers who wish to develop their skills and business. Mature indexers will also use the program to develop expertise in new disciplines and skills.

The program framework was announced at the ISC/SCI 2018 Annual Conference in Winnipeg in June. Stephen Ullstrom, chair of the program committee, and Linda Christian have been named the program’s first coordinators. They plan to have it running by January 2019.

Ullstrom, who is also the regional representative for the Prairies and Northern Canada, points out that most indexers are freelancers, and they could live almost anywhere. “The mentorship program will give anyone who lives in a remote area an additional resource and community that is usually only available to indexers in well-populated areas.”

“This program is a great achievement,” says Siusan Moffat, ISC/SCI executive member. Christian adds, “We had a lively discussion in the online forums on the need for mentoring in our industry. The timing couldn’t be better.”

The program is named after ISC/SCI member Mary Newberry in recognition of her many years of mentorship and teaching.

To learn more about the program, contact Stephen Ullstrom (mentorship@indexers.ca) or visit indexers.ca/resources/mentorship.

Mary Newberry Mentorship Program

The Indexing Society of Canada / Société canadienne d’indexation (ISC/SCI) is excited to announce the Mary Newberry Mentorship Program.

Stephen Ullstrom

The proposal for this new initiative was developed over this past year by the mentorship committee, composed of Stephen Ullstrom (chair), Margaret de Boer, and Pierre Joyal. The proposal was accepted by the executive at their May 5, 2018 meeting. The first coordinators for the program are Stephen Ullstrom and Linda Christian (pictured), who were appointed last week at the June executive meeting and conference.

Currently, the program is a proposal on paper. The first task for the coordinators is to turn the proposal into a functioning program. We hope to begin the first mentorships by January 2019.

Linda Christian

Highlights of the proposal include the following:

  • Mentorship will be available to all ISC/SCI members, regardless of level of indexing experience. We firmly believe that mentorship can be valuable at all stages of a career.
  • Mentorship will be one-on-one, and will take place in two-month blocks, with the option for renewal.
  • A small fee will be charged, most of which will be an honorarium for the mentor. We want to make the program accessible for all, while also acknowledging the commitment needed from both parties for mentorship to be a success.

The program is  named  after  our  own  Mary Newberry,  in  recognition  of     her many years  of  mentorship  and teaching.  We are  thrilled to  be able  to honour Mary in this way.

The coordinators and executive are excited for the potential of this new initiative. We hope that it will be of great benefit to all ISC/SCI members. Stay tuned in the coming months for more details as the program takes shape. We look forward to sharing those details with you.