“Technology and the Indexing Process,” was a seminar held on Friday, April 19, 2013 at the annual conference for the American Society for Indexing at San Antonio, Texas. The seminar was led by Kate Mertes, the 2013 ASI Wilson Award winner for the most outstanding index of the translation of Montesquieu’s My Thoughts. In the seminar,… Continue reading Technology and the Indexing Process
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Digital Trends Task Force Update
During the annual conference for the American Society for Indexing (ASI), held in San Antonio, Texas, on Friday, April 19, 2013, a Digital Trends Task Force (DTTF) Update was given as part of the Plenary Session. The co-chairs are David Ream and Jan Wright. The mission of the ASI DTTF is to gather information about changes in digital… Continue reading Digital Trends Task Force Update
Indexing in the Age of e-Books
A Plenary Session, held on Thursday, April 18th at the Hotel Contessa during the annual conference for the American Society for Indexing focused on “Indexing in the Age of e-Books.” Joshua Tallent, chief e-Book Architect for Firebrand Technologies, gave the presentation. “Indexes are at a crossroads,” he said. “The worst thing you can do is… Continue reading Indexing in the Age of e-Books
American Society for Indexing Conference
I recently attended the annual conference for the American Society for Indexing (ASI) in San Antonio, Texas. Held at the Hotel Contessa on the San Antonio’s famed Riverwalk, the keynote address was given on Thursday, April 18th by Judith Pascoe, Professor at the University of Iowa and author of “My Last Index.” Prof. Pascoe gave an… Continue reading American Society for Indexing Conference
Solutions for the Index Locator Problem with e-Book Indexes
A paragraph-numbering system for locators, such as the one the Chicago Manual of Style uses, might possibly work for linking all e-book version of indexes the same way. But this might happen only if all e-reader devices would use a paragraph-based system, a standardized method of numbering screen pages/locations, and consistent placement of the index… Continue reading Solutions for the Index Locator Problem with e-Book Indexes
Still More Problems with e-Book Indexes
The E-Book Screen Locator Problem Linked indexes are vital in an e-book because a reader has to “flip” through hundreds of screens of the e-book one at a time to get to a particular page. The way each type of e-reader divides up an e-book also impacts the text reflow issue for indexes. Kindle books… Continue reading Still More Problems with e-Book Indexes
More Problems with e-Book Indexes
The E-Reader Device Problem To distinguish itself from others and to establish its own unique competitive advantage, each e-reader manufacturer uses different methods for displaying an e-book. These differences include the various size of the physical “frame” for the screen display in the book, as well as the types of navigation methods used, including icons and… Continue reading More Problems with e-Book Indexes
Problems with e-Book Indexes
E-Book Text-Reflow Problem Why do the vast majority of e-books today come without indexes? Primarily, because of implementation challenges. A reader’s ability to adjust font size plays havoc with page references. Where, for example, in an e-book should index entries point to? At certain font sizes, hyperlinked numbers might lead exactly where you want to… Continue reading Problems with e-Book Indexes
Missing the e-Book Index
A well-designed index can help facilitate smarter e-books, making it easier for readers to find and retrieve information more efficiently. Unfortunately, at least for the immediate future, indexes won’t likely be appearing in most e-books on the the main e-reading systems, such as Kindle and Nook. The companies behind these reading platforms haven’t programmed their reading software… Continue reading Missing the e-Book Index
Special Topics on Alphabetizing in Indexes
When articles, conjunctions, or prepositions appear as the first term in a main heading, the phrase is probably a title of a book, an article, a play, or a painting. If the first term is an article, such as A or The, the term is not alphabetized. For example, the book title A Tale of… Continue reading Special Topics on Alphabetizing in Indexes