Indexing: it’s the law!

Abstract

The literature of indexing frequently cites a bill proposed in Parliament that every book be required to have an index. An American legal handbook includes statutes mandating the compilation of indexes to marriage records. The serendipitous discovery of these laws stimulated research on other mandated indexes. These exist in numerous domains. The statutes vary in specificity regarding types of index entries and quality of indexes. Implications of mandated indexes for indexers are discussed.