H.W. Wilson Award
From: Peg Mauer
To: Index-l listserv
Subject: 2009 ASI/H.W. Wilson Excellence in Indexing Award
Date: Mar 21, 2009 5:24 PM
I am thrilled to announce that this year’s recipient of the ASI/H.W.
Wilson Award in Excellence in Indexing is Jan Wright, for her index to
Real World Adobe InDesign CS3, by Olav Martin Kvern and David Blatner.
The book was published by Peachpit Press in 2008. It is the first time
a technical manual has won the award!
Congratulations Jan!
The Wilson Award Committee was impressed by the detailed level of
granularity at which the index was written. Every conceivable utility,
button, dialog box and menu item was covered in the index. In addition
to the granularity, the coverage of the index was exhaustive. There did
not appear to be a single concept in the text that was not
appropriately covered in the index. Also, as is so important in a
technical manual's index, not only were software features indexed, but
actions were as well. That allows users to find information on how to
use features not just descriptions of them.
Index entries were appropriately double- or even triple-posted,
ensuring multiple access points to information. The index was written
in a concise, direct style, resulting in an index with a scientific
elegance. Generally short lines, along with a layout that used lots of
white space made for easy reading, even at the relatively small font
size. Finally, the authors' use of humor was consistently represented
in the index, which is not always an easy thing to carry off.
Jan will receive the Wilson Award, including a plaque and a check for
$1,000, at the ASI Welcome Reception on Thursday, April 23, 2009 at
Powell's City of Books in Portland, Oregon.
The Wilson Award also recognizes the contribution of the publisher to
the quality of the index. The publisher, Peachpit Press, also receives
a plaque.
The ASI/Wilson Award was established to recognize the normally
anonymous indexers and the publishers who provide high-quality indexes
to serve their readers. For more information on the H.W. Wilson Award,
see http://www.asindexing.org/site/WilsonAward.shtml. As you create
indexes this year, please consider the criteria for the award. Next
year, you could be the winner!
Thanks to all who submitted indexes this year. See you in Portland!
Peg Mauer
Chair, 2009 H.W. Wilson Award Committee
You can browse the index here at Amazon. Use the "Look Inside This Book" feature, and you can browse the index. I will probably be intolerable for a while, intolerable!
To: Index-l listserv
Subject: 2009 ASI/H.W. Wilson Excellence in Indexing Award
Date: Mar 21, 2009 5:24 PM
I am thrilled to announce that this year’s recipient of the ASI/H.W.
Wilson Award in Excellence in Indexing is Jan Wright, for her index to
Real World Adobe InDesign CS3, by Olav Martin Kvern and David Blatner.
The book was published by Peachpit Press in 2008. It is the first time
a technical manual has won the award!
Congratulations Jan!
The Wilson Award Committee was impressed by the detailed level of
granularity at which the index was written. Every conceivable utility,
button, dialog box and menu item was covered in the index. In addition
to the granularity, the coverage of the index was exhaustive. There did
not appear to be a single concept in the text that was not
appropriately covered in the index. Also, as is so important in a
technical manual's index, not only were software features indexed, but
actions were as well. That allows users to find information on how to
use features not just descriptions of them.
Index entries were appropriately double- or even triple-posted,
ensuring multiple access points to information. The index was written
in a concise, direct style, resulting in an index with a scientific
elegance. Generally short lines, along with a layout that used lots of
white space made for easy reading, even at the relatively small font
size. Finally, the authors' use of humor was consistently represented
in the index, which is not always an easy thing to carry off.
Jan will receive the Wilson Award, including a plaque and a check for
$1,000, at the ASI Welcome Reception on Thursday, April 23, 2009 at
Powell's City of Books in Portland, Oregon.
The Wilson Award also recognizes the contribution of the publisher to
the quality of the index. The publisher, Peachpit Press, also receives
a plaque.
The ASI/Wilson Award was established to recognize the normally
anonymous indexers and the publishers who provide high-quality indexes
to serve their readers. For more information on the H.W. Wilson Award,
see http://www.asindexing.org/site/WilsonAward.shtml. As you create
indexes this year, please consider the criteria for the award. Next
year, you could be the winner!
Thanks to all who submitted indexes this year. See you in Portland!
Peg Mauer
Chair, 2009 H.W. Wilson Award Committee
You can browse the index here at Amazon. Use the "Look Inside This Book" feature, and you can browse the index. I will probably be intolerable for a while, intolerable!
David's blog about the award is here.