From Slashdot.org:

The U.S. publishing industry is driven by celebrity authors and repeat bestsellers, according to testimony from a blocked merger between Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster. Only 50 authors sell over 500,000 copies annually, with 96% of books selling under 1,000 copies. Publishing houses spend most of their advance money on celebrity books, which along with backlist titles like The Bible, account for the bulk of their revenue and fund less commercially successful books.

The following is an announcement written by the folks at the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy:

The Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy is now accepting applications for Hive Minders for SLIG 2025 and Spring Virtual 2025.

Hive Minders help our virtual classrooms function smoothly, addressing challenges that arise. If you are comfortable with technology, consider applying to serve during one of the courses offered during SLIG 2025 or Spring Virtual 2025.

Hive Minder job responsibilities include:  

• starting Zoom for each weekly class session;

 • managing closed captioning, breakout rooms, polls, and recordings;

 • assisting faculty and students with light tech and announcements;

 • taking attendance with the provided Airtable attendance tracker;

 • keeping SLIG staff aware of classroom and student issues or concerns.

Hive Minders receive:  

• a tuition waiver for the course for which they serve as Hive Minder;

 • training to be a Hive Minder;

 • a Hive Minder reference packet;

 • assistance and support from SLIG's Virtual Coordinator, Tech Assistant, and Director for emergencies and questions.

Courses offered during SLIG 2025 may be viewed here. Courses offered during SLIG Spring Virtual 2025 may be viewed here.

To apply to be a Hive Minder during SLIG 2025 or Spring Virtual 2025, please complete the application at this Airtable link. The deadline for applying is June 30, 2024. All applicants will receive notification via email whether they have been selected.

The following is a press release issued by the (U.S.) National Archives and Records Administration:

In celebration of the landmark Supreme Court decision that altered the landscape of education in the United States, the National Archives presents “The Legacy of Brown v. Board of Education, 70 Years Later” on Thursday, May 16, at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. 

The program will feature a conversation with law clerks of former Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. Speakers include Sheryll D. Cashin of Georgetown Law School and Randall L Kennedy of Harvard Law School, and the conversation will be moderated by Michael K. Powell, former chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. 

“The Brown decision was a pivotal moment in our nation’s history, laying the groundwork for the Civil Rights Movement and our ongoing pursuit of a more perfect union,” said Dr. Colleen Shogan, Archivist of the United States.  “At the National Archives we hold the records of this case, and all other Supreme Court decisions. So I’m glad we can bring together this panel of esteemed jurists who personally knew Justice Marshall to help us explore the impact and legacy of this watershed decision.”

Welcome and opening remarks will be provided by Dr. Shogan, Rodney Slater, chair and president of the National Archives Foundation, and Anthony Lewis, vice president of Public Policy at Verizon. The program will be livestreamed to audiences nationwide on the National Archives YouTube channel. 

"The Foundation is proud to commemorate the 70th anniversary of this landmark decision, and to delve into the demand for and significance of it,” said Rodney Slater, National Archives Foundation Board Chair. “The Foundation is proud to help bring these important conversations to the fore, highlighting moments throughout history that ultimately altered the landscape of our country."

The event will be held in the William G. McGowan Theater of the National Archives Building, located at 701 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC.

In-person attendees should use the Special Events entrance on Constitution Avenue at 7th Street NW. Metro is accessible on the Green Line at the Archives/Navy Memorial/Penn Quarter station. 

This program is made possible in part by the National Archives Foundation through the generous support of Verizon.

About the National Archives

The National Archives and Records Administration is an independent federal agency that serves American democracy by safeguarding and preserving the records of our government so people can discover, use, and learn from this documentary heritage. The National Archives ensures continuing access to the essential documentation of the rights of American citizens and the actions of their government. From the Declaration of Independence to accounts of ordinary Americans, the holdings of the National Archives directly touch the lives of millions of people. The agency supports democracy, promotes civic education, and facilitates historical understanding of our national experience. The National Archives carries out its mission through a nationwide network of archives, records centers, and Presidential Libraries and online at www.archives.gov.

About the National Archives Foundation

The National Archives Foundation is an independent nonprofit that increases public awareness of the National Archives, inspires a deeper appreciation of our country’s heritage, and encourages citizen engagement in our democracy. The Foundation generates financial and creative support for National Archives exhibitions, public programs, and educational initiatives, introducing America’s records to people around the U.S. and the world. Learn more at www.archivesfoundation.org.

In April 1985, the remains of an unidentified individual were discovered in St. Johns County, Florida. Deputies with the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office responded to the scene in Crescent Beach and located human remains buried in a shallow grave. Evidence collected at the burial site suggested that the remains had been buried for several years. It was determined that the remains were that of a white female between the ages of 30 and 50 years at the time of her death. The circumstances surrounding the discovery suggested that the woman's manner of death was homicide.

Between 2011 and 2012, renewed efforts on the case resulted in the University of South Florida developing a forensic composite of how the victim may have looked like during her life. Traditional DNA testing was performed and details of the case were entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) as UP3036. These efforts resulted in several leads over the years, however the woman could not be identified.

In 2022, investigators with the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office attended a cold case homicide class in Orange County, FL where forensic genetic genealogy (FGG) was discussed. Believing this case may be a candidate for FGG, investigators secured funding in hopes that advanced DNA testing could help develop new leads about the woman's identity.

In 2023, the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office submitted evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas. Othram scientists successfully developed a DNA extract from the forensic evidence and utilized Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing to build a comprehensive DNA profile for the homicide victim. Othram's in-house forensic genetic genealogy team then used the profile in a genealogical search to produce investigative leads in the case.

You can read more in an article in the forensicmag.com web site at: http://bit.ly/3UsfoI2.

If you have Irish ancestors, I bet you will be interested in this article:

One of Ireland's most popular museums has a service that allows you to uncover your Irish ancestry. EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum tells the story of Irish emigration throughout the generations. 

It is a fascinating visit for any Irish American as it tells the story of why their family might have moved from Ireland to the United States hundreds of years ago. Many Americans can trace their heritage back to Ireland and for a large number of them, a vacation to Ireland feels like a visit home. 

But those wanting to go that bit further and learn exactly where they came from can do so at the EPIC museum in Dublin. A team of genealogists in the Irish Family History Centre here offer consultation to help people uncover their Irish roots and find out who they are descended from. 

A personalized one-to-one consultation begins with the genealogist finding out where you are on your research journey, what documents you have, and everything you know. From there, they go through available tools to develop a search strategy. 

According to David Cleary, EPIC's Sales & Operations Director, you will probably be surprised at what you can discover about yourself and your Irish roots. David spoke to IrishStar.com to explain how the process works and what sets it apart from other ancestry services. 

"Often when I go out and talk to people and meet Americans, they love to connect," he explained. "They love to tell their own stories. They love to say they're Irish and they've done their DNA [test]. It's a great conversation starter.

You can read the full article by Brian Dillon published in the irishstar.com web site at: https://bit.ly/3vTUx77.

Here is an article that is not about any of the "normal" topics of this newsletter: genealogy, history, current affairs, DNA, and related topics. However,  it is of concern to all Windows users and I suggest that all Windows users should be aware of this:

Microsoft is getting ready to annoy its faithful Windows 10 user base with yet another prompt. Microsoft wants Windows 10 users to switch from using a local account to their online Microsoft account. As first noticed by the outlet Windows Latest, the most recent Windows 10 update Release Preview includes some information about new notifications added to the operating system intended to make users switch from their local account to their Microsoft account. "New! This update starts the [roll out] of account-related notifications for Microsoft accounts in Settings > Home," reads the update, originally from the official Windows blog, which then lays out its case for using a Microsoft account.

Comment by Dick Eastman: Rather than bowing to Microsoft’s marketing pressure to upgrade add thereby add more money to Microsoft, I would suggest that all Windows users should instead switch to Macintosh (which I use and like), Linux  (which I use and like), Chromebook (which I use and like), Android, Apple iOS, or any other operating system. The transition might be a bit difficult but, after using the new operating system for a while, I suspect you will be glad you switched.

This is a follow-up (containing more details) to an article I published earlier at: https://eogn.com/page-18080/13345504: 

Anne Wojcicki, the CEO of 23andMe, is considering a proposal to take the genetic testing company private after its stock price tumbled more than 95% from its 2021 highs. A late Wednesday filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission said Wojcicki is working with advisors and plans to speak with possible financing sources and partners. She "wishes to maintain control" of the company and will "not be willing to support any alternative transaction," the filing said. [...]

In November, 23andMe received a deficiency letter from the Nasdaq Listing Qualifications Department, which said the company had 180 days to bring its share price back above $1. The company's board of directors formed a "Special Committee" in late March to help explore options that could juice the stock.

A collection of photographs documenting the history of University of Galway has been published after being collected and archived in a project sponsored by Agallamh na Seanórach/Retired Staff Association.

More than 350 images, ranging from the late 19th century to the mid-1990s, have been discovered and digitised, illustrating the University in diverse ways from formal occasions; to connections to the city and the region; to real-life stories of students and staff; and the changing character and environment of the campus.

The project began in November 2021 as part of the celebrations which followed on from the 175th anniversary of the foundation of the University in 1845. The research and digitisation of old photos was one of six projects sponsored by the Office of the University President through a special fund to record and share our institutional history.

The result is visual history photographic database entitled Visual History of the University of Galway, Retired Staff Collection, which involved a partnership between research team and archivists in the University Library.

The collection and searchable database is available online at https://exhibitions.library.universityofgalway.ie/s/visual-history-retired-staff.

You can read more at: https://bit.ly/3wdvk7v.

The following is from the MyHeritage Blog:

Anzac Day offers a great opportunity to honor the legacies of Australian and New Zealander family members who fought for freedom. To make this Anzac Day even more meaningful, MyHeritage is providing free access to all 130 million records from Australia and New Zealand on MyHeritage from April 23–28, 2024.

Search free Australian and New Zealand records on MyHeritage

Usually, a Complete, Data, or Omni plan is required to view these records, but for a limited time only, you can search and view them for free. Note that you’ll be asked to create a free MyHeritage account to access these free records.

Over the past year, we’ve expanded our collection to include a vast array of historical newspapers. This new collection comprises over 24 million pages from 1,705 newspaper titles, covering every state and territory in Australia. These newspapers offer rich insights into local communities, society pages, and events that shaped the lives of your ancestors. We also host many essential military collections, including the esteemed Anzac Memorial records and the comprehensive Australian World War II Nominal Roll, 1939–1945. These resources, among others available on MyHeritage, can play a pivotal role in illuminating your relatives’ military service and contributing to a richer understanding of their lives.

Explore your family’s history today at myheritage.com/oceania.

Lest we forget. ️

Here is an article that is not about any of the "normal" topics of this newsletter: genealogy, history, current affairs, DNA, and related topics. However, it is abput a subject that interests me and I would like to share it:

A 13-year-old from Arkansas wasn’t allowed to use Angie Thomas’ The Hate U Give for a book report. A 16-year-old from Idaho was scared to check out LGBTQIA+ books from their library, “because I don’t want anyone to find out.” A 15-year-old from Ohio says the school library was “entirely cleared out and locked in a closet.” 

These are just a few of the stories from young people affected by the compounding impacts of book bans and limited access to reading material featured in a new report released by Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) and The Seattle Public Library (SPL). Two years after the launch of Books Unbanned, an initiative to protect the freedom to read for young people, “In Their Own Words: Youth Voices on Books Unbanned” gives new insight into the impact of censorship on teens and young adults across the United States and how restrictions and other barriers to access build upon and reinforce each other. 

More than 14,000 young people had signed up for Books Unbanned programs at the two libraries through February 2024, collectively checking out over 340,000 books. Books Unbanned cardholders have signed up from every state in the nation, as well as D.C., Guam, and Puerto Rico.

“In an era of unprecedented challenges to the freedom to read, this report offers a chance to hear directly from the youth who are most affected,” said Tom Fay, Chief Librarian of The Seattle Public Library. “Their stories document, in heartbreaking and hopeful detail, both the serious impacts of censorship attempts and how programs like Books Unbanned are providing joy, representation and escape for a new generation of readers.”

“In Their Own Words” analyzes 855 stories shared by young people, ages 13 to 26, who signed up for a free Books Unbanned e-card from either BPL or SPL from April 2022 through December 2023. University of Washington Information School graduate students categorized and tagged the stories to identify common themes. The stories analyzed for the report are a subset of thousands that the two libraries have received in the past two years from every state in the nation, as well as D.C., Guam, and Puerto Rico.

A key theme uncovered in the analysis was how formal acts of censorship, bans, challenges, and restrictions to reading material can create a climate of fear and intimidation for young people.

You can read more in an article in the  thecitylife.org web site at: http://bit.ly/44cfjvg.