The Aurora Public Library District (APLD) will be host to award-winning journalist, Libby Copeland, at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 8. Adult services librarian, Cailín Cullen, will chat with Copeland about her acclaimed new book, The Lost Family: How DNA Testing Is Upending Who We Are.
The event will be held virtually on Zoom and will be streamed on the Library’s Facebook page @APLibraryIL. Be sure to register in advance at aurorapubliclibrary.org/events. The format of the program will include 30 minutes of discussion and presentation, followed by 30 minutes of audience Q&A.
The book’s publication coincides with the 20th anniversary of home DNA testing for ancestry purposes and the reaching of a tipping point with more than 30 Million Americans tested. Both have enormous implications for those who have been tested and those who have not been tested. Author and journalist Libby Copeland will discuss the rapidly-evolving phenomenon of home DNA testing and its implications for family, heritage, and American culture.
Libby Copeland is an award-winning journalist who has written for the Washington Post, New York Magazine, the New York Times, the Atlantic, and many other publications. She specializes in the intersection of science and culture. Copeland was a reporter and editor at the Washington Post for 11 years, has been a media fellow and guest lecturer, and has made numerous appearances on television and radio.
Cullen said, “We’re so excited that Libby Copeland will be joining us to discuss her new book. We see a significant interest in genealogy research at the Library, and it will no doubt be very interesting to consider the wider impact of DNA testing on this popular hobby as well as a society.”
Find the book in the Library’s online catalog and pickup through our low-contact curbside hold pickup service.
If you’re interested in family history, find resources for getting started at aurorapubliclibrary.org/genealogy–local-history. You’ll find local history resources, information on conducting a house history, digital displays, and a listing of virtual local history programs.
Community history programs are available on the Library’s YouTube channel, including the two-part series, City in Crisis: Aurora and the Spanish Influenza 1918, George Grant Elmslie and the Crucible of Creation, History of the Aurora Public Library, Introduction to Online LGBTQ+ Archives, and The Language of Tombstones.
The Aurora Public Library District provides access to Ancestry.com. Though typically for in-house use only, users can gain access to this tool remotely through December 31 with a valid APLD Library card and pin. It can be found at aurorapubliclibrary.org/databases-and-research. Don’t have a Library card? Apply online for full access to online resources, databases and more! Students of Aurora Public Schools are eligible for student cards through the end of the 2020-2021 school year. Visit aurorapubliclibrary.org/get-a-library-card to get started.