Twitter continues to shrink in the number of users and in the reduction in the amount of information being posted daily. All this apparently is caused by the actions of the new owner, Elon Musk.

Now a new web site has appeared that plans to be a Twitter alternative. 

T2 is led by former Twitter employees who want to recreate Twitter’s “public square.”

The site isn’t available to the general public just yet but the developers hope it will become available within a few days. T2 is part of a growing crop of Twitter alternatives that have sprung up in the wake of Musk’s takeover. The platform is smaller than some more established rivals, like Mastodon, but is intent on recreating the “public square” associated with the pre-Musk Twitter. In fact, founder Gabor Cselle has been pretty clear that he intends to create “a pretty straightforward copy of Twitter with some simplifications” rather than an entirely new experience.

For now, users only have a couple days to take advantage of the program, since legacy verifications are set to disappear from Twitter on April 1st. But the company has a plan to offer verification via other means once Twitter’s legacy checks go away. (T2’s form-based verification won’t work for those who paid for the new, Twitter Blue-enabled check.)

Along with the new verification features, T2 is also announcing a couple other milestones. The company has hired a former Discord exec as its new CTO, and is launching a much-needed redesign that will look familiar to Twitter users.

Stay tuned...

The following was initially written in the Estonian language, then translated to English by Google Translate:

The National Library's DigiLabor helps to monetize cultural data

On March 30, the Estonian National Library's research portal DigiLabor started operating. Those interested can create new knowledge and values from the datasets themselves or use the help of a library representative.

The goal of the National Library's DigiLab (digilab.rara.ee) is to help make the data held by libraries more digitally accessible and usable, to promote data valorization, research and innovation. The DigiLabor collection contains metadata of over 12 million newspaper articles and 70,000 books and 785,000 objects, but the datasets are constantly being supplemented.

"Cultural heritage and information technology come together in DigiLabor in the form of data. The target group of the portal is humanities and social scientists, data scientists and other interested parties," summarized Peeter Tinits, chief digital humanities specialist at the National Library of Estonia.

The data comes from the digital archive DIGAR, the Estonian article database DEA, the Estonian national bibliography database ERB and the Estonian keyword set EMS. DigiLabor also gathers data on legal bibliography, bibliography of Estonian presidents, parliamentarism and repros

The datasets are divided into categories such as books, periodicals, image material, sound, multimedia, and also individuals and collectives. The interested party can make inquiries in DigiLabor according to the category of interest.

The announcement is quite lengthy and goes on and on. I'll stop here. However, if you have an interest in Estonia and want to read the entire article, you will need to go to https://www.nlib.ee/et/uudised/rahvusraamatukogu-digilabor-aitab-v%C3%A4%C3%A4rindada-kultuuriandmeid. (Hopefully, you can read the Estonian language. If not, go to https://translate.google.com for a translation.)

The following announcement was written by the folks at Findmypast:

1939 Register  

90,809 new records have been opened on the 1939 Register in this latest update. You can normally find an ancestor’s name, date of birth, address, occupation and marital status, plus extra details such as civilian role and other family members. Findmypast has the most up-to-date version of the 1939 Register online.  

Sussex Burials 

A further 46,567 records have been added into this existing collection, covering the Worthing local authority area for 1850-2012. You’ll normally find an ancestor’s name, birth year, age at death, burial date and church dedication. Sometimes, you might also find extra notes, such as titles, places of residence, occupations, relatives’ names, marital status and workhouse status.  

Newspapers 

Six new titles and updates to a further 96 existing titles make the headlines this week.  

New titles: 

·         Daily Malta Chronicle and Garrison Gazette, 1896-1904, 1909-1918 

·         Egham & Staines News, 1898, 1901, 1904, 1906 

·         Essex & Herts Mercury, 1839 

·         Hammersmith & Chiswick Leader, 1986 

·         New Addington Advertiser, 1998-1999 

·         Newquay Express and Cornwall County Chronicle, 1923-1954 

Updated titles: 

·         Acton Gazette, 1940-1950, 1952-1958, 1960-1966 

·         Airdrie & Coatbridge World, 1998-1999 

·         Ashby Mail, 1998 

·         Ayrshire World, 1998-1999 

·         Beaconsfield Advertiser, 1999 

·         Bedfordshire on Sunday, 1985 

·         Billericay Gazette, 1998-1999 

·         Birkenhead News, 1999 

·         Birmingham Mail, 1894 

·         Bridgend & Ogwr Herald & Post, 1996-1997 

·         Bristol Evening Post, 1979 

·         Bristol Times and Mirror, 1913-1920 

·         Buckinghamshire Advertiser, 1922, 1924-1947, 1949, 1952-1954, 1956, 1986 

·         Burton Trader, 1999 

·         Bury Free Press, 1977, 1981 

·         Cambridge Weekly News, 1999 

·         Canterbury Times, 1999 

·         Cardiff Post, 1997, 1999 

·         Chatham Standard, 1958, 1998-1999 

·         Chertsey & Addlestone Leader, 1998-1999 

·         Clyde Weekly News, 1999 

·         Coalville Mail, 1998-1999 

·         Coleshill Chronicle, 1983, 1985 

·         Crewe Chronicle, 1979, 1981 

·         Crosby Herald, 1999 

·         Daily Gazette for Middlesbrough, 1947, 1974, 1979 

·         Derbyshire Advertiser and Journal, 1851 

·         Dunmow Observer, 1999 

·         East Cleveland Herald & Post, 1997 

·         Exeter Leader, 1998-1999 

·         Formby Times, 1999 

·         Galloway News and Kirkcudbrightshire Advertiser, 1998 

·         Greenford & Northolt Gazette, 1977-1981, 1983-1984, 1986-1987 

·         Grimsby Daily Telegraph, 1916, 1990 

·         Gwent Gazette, 1998 

·         Hanwell Gazette and Brentford Observer, 1900-1910, 1912-1922 

·         Herne Bay Times, 1999 

·         Hertford Mercury and Reformer, 1963-1967 

·         Hounslow & Chiswick Informer, 1999 

·         Hoylake & West Kirby News, 1997, 1999 

·         Leicester Advertiser, 1842-1843 

·         Leicester Journal, 1876 

·         Leighton Buzzard on Sunday, 1998-1999 

·         Lincolnshire Echo, 1986, 1990 

·         Lincolnshire Free Press, 1871, 1874, 1878-1880, 1951-1987, 1989-1999 

·         Liverpool Daily Post, 1884, 1977 

·         Llanelli Star, 1998-1999 

·         Manchester Evening Chronicle, 1956, 1958 

·         Middlesex Chronicle, 1980 

·         Midweek Visiter (Southport), 1998 

·         Nantwich Chronicle, 1979 

·         New Observer (Bristol), 1991, 1995, 1998 

·         North Middlesex Chronicle, 1875 

·         North Tyneside Herald & Post, 1999 

·         Northwich Chronicle, 1988 

·         Nottingham & Long Eaton Topper, 1999 

·         Nottingham Evening News, 1911, 1950 

·         Nottingham Guardian, 1950 

·         Nottingham Journal, 1825 

·         Paddington Mercury, 1990 

·         Plymouth Extra, 1999 

·         Pontypridd Observer, 1964-1967, 1969-1977 

·         Retford, Gainsborough & Worksop Times, 1972, 1974-1976 

·         Royston and Buntingford Mercury, 1998 

·         Runcorn Weekly News, 1981 

·         Rutherglen Reformer, 1986 

·         Salford Advertiser, 1997 

·         Sevenoaks Chronicle and Kentish Advertiser, 1978 

·         Sevenoaks Focus, 1999 

·         Shepton Mallet Journal, 1976-1980, 1986-1987 

·         South Wales Daily Post, 1950 

·         Sports Argus, 1999 

·         St. Neots Weekly News, 1999 

·         St. Pancras Guardian and Camden and Kentish Towns Reporter, 1922 

·         Stafford Post, 1998 

·         Staines & Egham News, 1999 

·         Stirling Observer, 1999 

·         Sutton Coldfield News, 1999 

·         Thanet Times, 1999 

·         Torbay Express and South Devon Echo, 1950 

·         Uttoxeter Newsletter, 1999 

·         Uxbridge Informer, 1999 

·         Uxbridge Leader, 1997 

·         Vale Advertiser, 1999 

·         Wales on Sunday, 1996-1998 

·         Walsall Observer, 1973-1979, 1981-1982, 1984-1987 

·         Walton & Weybridge Informer, 1998 

·         Wembley Observer, 1998-1999 

·         Widnes Weekly News and District Reporter, 1986, 1988 

·         Winsford Chronicle, 1979-1980 

·         Wishaw World, 1999 

·         Woking Informer, 1995, 1999 

·         Woolwich Gazette, 1911-1913 

… the first to cross the threshold
Of that isle of hope and tears
Was Annie Moore from Ireland
Who was only fifteen years

Annie Moore was the first immigrant who walked through the doors when Ellis Island opened more than 130 years ago. These days, there are statues of her in Ireland and at the historic US site. Her name is on a pub in New York City, a National Park Service boat and even an AI platform that aims to help match refugees with communities where they can resettle.

Linehan is a 54-year-old primary school teacher and professional singer in County Kildare, Ireland. And as far as he knew, when he started performing “Isle of Hope, Isle of Tears” as part of his repertoire, being Irish was the only thing he and Annie Moore had in common.

“I enjoyed singing the song,” he says, “but it was about a remote historical figure for me.”

A surprising discovery in 2016 changed his perspective on the tune – and changed his life in ways he never expected.

That year Linehan learned the first immigrant to arrive at Ellis Island wasn’t merely a remote historical figure. She was his cousin – more precisely, his first cousin three times removed.

All those years as Linehan had been singing the ballad, an American genealogist had been searching for Annie Moore’s descendants. With the help of a fellow genealogy buff in Ireland, she tracked down several of Linehan’s family members. Linehan says they were as shocked to learn of the connection as she was thrilled to find them.

“This was completely out of the blue. … We didn’t know anything about this,” he says.

More than 4.5 million Irish immigrants arrived in the United States between 1820 and 1930. And now, about 31.5 million people in the US claim Irish ancestry.

The story of Annie Moore captivated audiences from the moment she arrived on American shores. On January 1, 1892, reporters from New York newspapers looked on as Moore walked through the large double doors of the new federal immigration depot at Ellis Island. She’d traveled on the SS Nevada on a 12-day journey from Queenstown, Ireland, with two younger brothers by her side.

Who was Annie Moore? And what became of her after her much-celebrated moment in the spotlight?

Those are questions that professional genealogist Megan Smolenyak has thought about for decades.

“She’s my grand obsession. Every time I reach the finish line, she finds a way to pull me back in,” says Smolenyak, who also works as a cold case researcher for federal investigators, delves into the family histories of celebrities and was once the chief family historian for Ancestry.com.

Smolenyak was working on “They Came to America,” a PBS documentary about immigration, nearly 20 years ago when she started to dive into records as she worked to tell Annie Moore’s story. Popular lore and even a few books had previously told the story of an Annie Moore who’d moved to Texas, married a descendant of a famous Irish patriot, been one of the first White settlers in New Mexico, run a hotel and died in a streetcar accident.

But Smolenyak, who lives in St. Petersburg, Florida, says she discovered something surprising when she looked up Census records: That particular Annie Moore was born in Illinois.

For years, historians had been telling the story of the wrong Annie Moore.

So what was the real Annie Moore’s story?

The question is answered and a lot of other information about Annie Moore is revealed in an article by Catherine E. Shoichet published in the CNN web site at: https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/17/us/irish-history-ellis-island-annie-moore-cec/index.html

Italian citizenship is one of the most sought-after nationalities in the world. Whilst numerous migrants today secure Italian citizenship and residency rights by investing hundreds of thousands of dollars in Italy or relocating to Italy, those with an ancestral connection with Italy may attain Italian citizenship through a more straightforward and affordable route - Italian citizenship by ancestry ("Italian CBA").

If certain requirements are met, those of Italian descent may apply for Italian citizenship without purchasing a property or making a business investment in Italy. While legal costs for Italian CBA vary depending on the complexity of the case, such costs are typically significantly lower that those required by other immigration options. This is because Italian CBA applicants are entitled to secure Italian citizenship by right of blood and they typically go through a simpler citizenship application process compared to other migrants.

Advantages of Acquiring Italian Citizenship

Securing Italian citizenship can bring a host of benefits. One may not only gain the right to live, work, and study freely in Italy and anywhere in the European Union ("EU") by becoming Italian citizens, but they may also apply for social securities, healthcare subsidies, and education benefits from any EU member states. Additionally, those who qualify for Italian CBA may secure one of the most coveted travel document in the world – the Italian passport. The Italian passport is ranked the third most powerful passport in the world in 2023 and holders of Italian passports are granted visa free/ visa-on-arrival access to 174 destinations around the globe. Moreover, in cases of emergencies, Italian passport holders may seek consular assistance and protection from any EU embassy.

Qualifying for Italian CBA

The advantage of the Italian CBA program is that the program imposes no generational barriers on its applicants, so those with an ancestral link with Italy may qualify for Italian CBA regardless of how far back their ancestral lines extend.

You can read more in an article by Polly Ho at https://www.mondaq.com/unitedstates/general-immigration/1296770/obtaining-italian-citizenship-through-your-ancestors. 

Jacqui Love Thornell and her husband Kwasi Thornell have made the largest ever photography donation to Broward’s County’s African American Research Library Cultural Center (ARLCC) in Fort Lauderdale.

They gifted more than 1,300 photographs, documenting African American life from the mid-19th to mid-20th centuries, to the ARLCC Special Collections and Archives Department’s “Frozen in Time: Selections from the Love-Thornell Collection.”

Love Thornell, a human resource executive for several major media companies said she had retired when she found herself wanting to do more.

“I started out on ancestry.com looking for family photos, (and) realized we had none,” she said. “I expanded my search. I started looking up photos from the 1800s to the 1950s. I found everyday people. I started looking up albums and started learning about forms of photographs.”

The scholar with an Ed. M. from Harvard University, also an avid reader, traveler and writer, said she envisioned the expansive collection, donated, in November 2021, as an educational tool. “I thought it would be great for teachers for Black history.”

With numerous worldwide options for sharing the fruits of her labor, the Miami native chose South Florida, and entered talks with the Broward research library, which now is the collection’s home. The exhibition also is digitized, so it can be viewed from anywhere around the globe.

You can read more in an article in the South Florida Times web site at: https://www.sfltimes.com/news/love-thornell-collection-largest-photography-gift-to-aarlcc.

If you travel about 51 miles north of Pittsburgh and go 220 feet underground, past armed guards, you’ll find the Bettmann Archive. If you’re somewhat familiar with the world of photojournalism, there’s a good chance you’ve heard of this renowned archive that's managed by Getty Images. Preserving around 11 million images, the archive is a visual record of many of the world’s most important historical events since the invention of the camera in the early 1800s.

The Bettmann Archive was started by Otto Bettmann, a curator living in Nazi-occupied Germany, where he worked as the curator of rare books at the Prussian State Art Library in Berlin. Known to many as “The Picture Man,” Bettmann was dismissed from his position after Adolf Hitler took power and forced Jewish people out of civil service jobs. When he fled Germany for the United States in 1935, Bettmann “virtually invented the image resource business,” according to the archive’s former owner and now-defunct image licensing giant Corbis. When he arrived, he had just two trunks filled with old photo prints, which is what humbly began the now-vast archive that still bears his name. 

Over the next few decades, with his encyclopedic knowledge of historical visuals, Bettmann figured out a cunning business, licensing images he amassed to editorial and advertising clients. Charles Clyde Ebbets’s “Lunch Atop a Skyscraper,” the Apollo 11 moon landing, Malcolm X meeting Martin Luther King Jr., the Hindenburg’s explosion, and a young Queen Elizabeth II (posing with one of her corgis) is only a small taste of the archive’s famous images.

When he was 78, he spoke of his relationship with clients, telling the New York Times, “Instead of visual cliches, I provided them with a graphic shorthand that illuminates the present by revealing the past, preferably with humor.”

You can read more (and view dozens of historic photographs) in the BuzzFeed News web site at: https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/kennethbachor/bettmann-archive

The National Library will discontinue microfilming in early 2024. It will then no longer supply microfilms to clients.

Newspapers received as legal deposits will be digitised upon receipt and made available via the Digital resources of the National Library, digi.kansalliskirjasto.fi, service. Based on the Tutkain agreement, all newspapers and journals published by the end of 2021 will be available for research use at the higher education institutions that have concluded the agreement.

Regardless of microfilm discontinuation, any microfilms made by the end of 2023 will remain accessible in the National Library’s North Hall.

Microfilming will be discontinued for several reasons. One is that as the required technology is no longer developed except to a very limited extent, we would be unable to replace our ageing equipment. Access to equipment maintenance services is also uncertain, making microfilming risky.

Since the 1950s, microfilm has been a reliable and secure storage format for extensive datasets. As resources are becoming increasingly digital, the National Library will use the Digital Preservation Service offered by CSC (IT Center for Science) to ensure the preservation and usability of digital newspapers for future generations. The Digital Preservation Service is intended for the long-term preservation of cultural heritage resources.

From the National Genealogical Society's web site:

Videos of our recent conference question and answer Zoom sessions are now available on the NGS YouTube Channel. Sessions were held on 9 February and 14 March 2023. The videos provide overviews of the main conference and pre-conference activities including tours, the BCG Educational Fund workshop, FOCUS events for genealogy organizations, and featured events. Speakers include Conference Committee Chair Jan Alpert, Executive Director Matt Menashes, Organizations and Communities Manager Kate Smith, Conference Chair Teresa Kelley, VGS Host Committee Chair Mary Vidlak, Teresa Koch-Bostic, and more.

Registration is now open at https://conference.ngsgenealogy.org/.

An average of 80 people have attended each event, and participants have tuned in from as far away as California.

A partnership between the Rauh Jewish Archives at the Heinz History Center and the Jewish Genealogy Society created nearly 30 programs with close to 2,400 attendees from around the world over the last three years.

Due to the success of the alliance, the organizations have decided to renew their collaboration for another two years.

The idea of a partnership first came to Rauh Jewish Archives Director Eric Lidji in late 2019 when he was approached by representatives of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, telling him that the William M Lowenstein Genealogical Education Fund, created after the pioneering genealogist’s death, required a distribution to be made every few years.

You can read more in an article by David Rullo published in the Times of Israel web site at: https://tinyurl.com/45wt8rxp