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Book indexer, editor, boss at baindex.org | Society of Indexers Chair and Fellow | CIEP APM | Cryptic crossword novice setter Pixie | Stockport, UK 🧚🏻 www.mycrossword.co.uk/Pixie See also @indexers.bsky.social www.indexers.org.uk #IndexSky

Paula Clarke Bain

Book indexers are asked all the time whether a computer - or, lately AI - can do our job. Neither or a computer or AI can index adequately - our panel of expert indexers explain why you still need a human being to index your book:

Final two #ASI2026 sessions: – @pilarw2000.bsky.social on adapting to an airspace shutdown. Loving your work always helps and we can index anywhere! – Gina Guilinger and Amron Lehte on marketing with LinkedIn (and nice to be one example). Thanks all at @asindexing.bsky.social for a fine conference.

We @indexers.bsky.social had good Zoom chats on index introductory notes. Here’s two odd ones of mine: – INDEX, A History of @djbduncan.bsky.social – The Frankfurt Kabuff Critical Edition @bethdriscoll.bsky.social & @clairesquires.bsky.social, with a running footer key on each spread. #IndexSky

Great start by Michele Combs and Elizabeth Bartmess on ‘Indexing in the Era of AI’ at @asindexing.bsky.social #ASI2026. LLMs and generative AI chatbots produce poor book indexes, with limitations in coverage (both under- and over-indexing), navigability and accuracy. Further links below. #IndexSky

I’m tuning in shortly for the full day 2 of @asindexing.bsky.social’s 2026 conference. Look forward to hearing about indexing in the era of AI, mastering the marketing game, ‘Disasters, indexing through them’ and more. See some of you in our Zoom boxes soon. #IndexSky

Fab night at the Phoenix Arts Club in London’s Soho watching The League of Improv with guest comedian George Fouracres from #SNLUK (and his little earring too). What a treat to see in hilarious freewheeling action, live and up close. 🤩 (📷 @martinbain.bsky.social)

This was a fascinating discussion and I'm looking forward to making use of in situ notes in a future index #IndexSky

11d

This is the first in a series of blog posts that ask a panel of experienced indexers questions about indexing practice and life as an indexer. These will be app

buff.ly

Ask the Indexers: can’t a computer do that?

Next two sessions at @asindexing.bsky.social #ASI2026: – Vickie Jacobs on US government contracting – Maria Sullivan on tips for Cindex and other indexing software (I use SKY Index and Index-Manager) – plus fun breakout chats, inc. a cheery waving of @djbduncan.bsky.social’s INDEX UK/US book covers.

Paula Clarke Bain

Society of Indexers

Paula Clarke Bain

Some excellent resources on AI issues in indexing are at: – @asindexing.bsky.social website asindexing.org/ai-and-index... – @indexers.bsky.social website www.indexers.org.uk/ai-and-index... – and blog at www.indexers.org.uk/posts/indexi... Or ask a professional book indexer! #ASI2026 #IndexSky

Tanya Izzard

The @asindexing.bsky.social 2026 virtual conference ‘Indexing in Interesting Times’ starts today. @tanyaizzard.bsky.social and others from @indexers.bsky.social will be there for day 1, and I’m attending all of day 2 live tomorrow. Wishing a good one to our international indexing friends! #IndexSky

Paula Clarke Bain

asindexing.org

AI and Indexing | American Society for Indexing

Paula Clarke Bain

Eighteen SI members met this morning to return to the topic of introductory notes to indexes. Ann Hudson had reviewed the guidance on these in indexing standards, and reference works, and found that most agreed with our conclusions: notes can be helpful, but should be used sparingly and kept short.

11d

Society of Indexers