Reading INDEXING SERVICES

Judith M. Reading BSc. MSc. Fellow of the Society of Indexers

INDEXING SUBJECT SPECIALISMS

Drawing from my educational and working background, my prime subject areas are in the life sciences, librarianship/information science plus academic psychology.

LIFE SCIENCES: Biology, Ecology, Botany, Zoology, Natural history, Microbiology, Environmental science, Agriculture, Conservation, Medicine, Veterinary, Dentistry, Nutrition, Food science, Sports science.

PSYCHOLOGY: Psychotherapy, Counselling, Education, Child development, Neuroscience

LIBRARIANSHIP: Information science

OTHER: Geography, Social sciences, Music, Bell-ringing, Equestrian, Animal husbandry

EDUCATIONAL AND WORKING BACKGROUND

I graduated with BSc. in Biological Sciences from Exeter University, a course slanted towards plant and animal ecology, with an ancilliary course in psychology which I found fascinating. This was followed by an MSc. in Information Science from Sheffield University, which qualified me for a career in librarianship, working firstly in a public library (where I achieved Chartered Librarian status), followed by a job as information scientist at Campden Food Preservation Research Association, in Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire.

Then followed a move back to Sheffield where I took a post which combined biology and information science in the Unit of Comparative Plant Ecology at Sheffield University. This involved background library research for a large field study being undertaken by the department on the ecology of 265 plant species found within the Sheffield region - an interesting area botanically, where the southern extent of Tundra vegetation meets up with the northern extent of Mediterranean vegetation.

I was asked to write the index to the book which resulted from this ecological study, followed by an index to another book by one of the academic staff in the department. In writing these indexes, I had really found what I wanted to do and have been a professional indexer ever since (27 years), compiling hundreds of indexes combined with bringing up my two children.

I enjoy organising the subject matter of the book into a rational index which connects similar ideas and directs the reader to all the relevant information.

TESTIMONIALS

‘The author has asked that me to thank Judith for her exceedingly thorough index. She was very pleased’

‘Thank you so much for a brilliant job of creating an index for my rather complex book’

‘Just thought I would let you know that the author of this title was really pleased with the index, saying it's excellent, beyond our expectations’

‘I am so full of admiration that you have managed to do such a huge amount of meticulous, careful and professional work in such a short time.I am very delighted and impressed with your final index. You've done a fantastic job and phenomenal piece of work. ’

'This is an excellent index and I am very pleased with it'

'Thank you so much for this. A truly excellent job. Anybody who works with me will tell you the rarity of me not making significant changes to work sent to me, never happens. However, I can't find anything about your index that I don't approve of - so you've done it in one!'