Laura Abed
MLS, Southern CT State University
MA, Speech Pathology, Indiana University
UC Berkeley Extension,
Indexing: Theory and Application
Back-of-the-book Indexer
A lifelong reader, in childhood I learned to appreciate a high quality index as a tool for locating topics of interest and even more for guiding me to new ideas I hadn't anticipated! Now I create indexes in the hope
of giving readers that same satisfaction of a built-in tool for both navigation and discovery.
Librarian and Educator
I have extensive knowledge of children's and YA literature gained through many years of work as a school library teacher. I understand how children at different developmental stages select keywords and use indexes, which in turn informs my work when creating indexes for children's nonfiction.
I have additional experience in instructional design and technology and design thinking.
Author
Over the years I have worked with various clients in K-12 and higher education as a writer, researcher, and editor. This culminated in an opportunity to co-author a higher education textbook as well as a chapter in an edited textbook, both in a field that has personal significance for me – universal design (designing real-world and digital environments to be accessible to people of all abilities).
A final word....
While universal design is important to me on a personal level, the idea of accessibility has been a constant throughout my professional life. Indexing continues this trend – whether your readers are novices or experts in your field, new to your book or searching for a favorite passage, a well-crafted index will give them the access they need to fully engage with your work.
