About me

I’m an experienced back-of-the book indexer for trade and scholarly books in a broad range of subject areas, from the humanities to health sciences to finance. I also index French-language materials. I have a BA from McGill University and an MLIS from Dalhousie University.

When I wrote my first index in 2005, for an accounting textbook from Queen's University Press, it was love at first index. I immediately signed up for professional training from the USDA Graduate School, and indexing became my portal into the broader worlds of editing and librarianship. 

In 2025, after 20 years on a winding path through academic libraries; digital archives; and several editing specialities, from proofreading to copyediting to developmental editing, I was thrilled to return to indexing full time.

I’ve completed the training course from the American Society for Indexing (ASI), and I undertake continual professional development for indexing particular subject areas.

I’m the interviews columnist for the Indexing Society of Canada/Société canadienne d'indexation (ISC/SCI)’s quarterly Bulletin, and I’m a dedicated volunteer for ASI’s PNW chapter.

When I'm not indexing, I'm probably writing, drawing comics, or trying to identify lichen in the forest near my home in Astoria, Oregon. I'm also an award-winning memoirist.

Alyssa Graybeal, MLIS