Q.   What does E Pluribus Unum mean, and what is the story behind this important U.S. motto?

A.   E Pluribus Unum is Latin for "out of many, one."  Sometimes it is translated more loosely as "one from many."  E Pluribus Unum refers to the fact that the United States was formed as a cohesive single nation as the result of the thirteen smaller colonies joining together.  The motto E Pluribus Unum was first proposed by the U.S. Continental Congress in 1782, for use on the Great Seal of the United States.  The first use of E Pluribus Unum on coins was in 1795, when it was used on the Half Eagle ($5.00 gold piece.)   The reverse design motif is based on the Great Seal of the United States, and depicts an eagle holding a banner in its beak bearing the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM.  The motto was first used on a silver coin three years later in 1798, and appeared on all U.S. gold and silver coinage shortly thereafter.  However, E Pluribus Unum's use on U.S. coinage wasn't uninterrupted.  In 1834, E Pluribus Unum was removed from gold coins to mark a minor debasement in the fineness of the gold.  Once again, the silver coins soon followed, and E Pluribus Unum didn't appear on any U.S. coins again until 1866, when it returned to several coin types, including the Half Eagle, Eagle ($10 gold piece,) Double Eagle ($20.00 gold piece,) silver One Dollar, and Quarter Dollar.  In 1873, a law was passed that required E Pluribus Unum to appear on all U.S. coins when new designs went into effect, and the motto appears on all U.S. coins to this day as a result.  Just as the U.S. has thirteen original colonies,  Fun facts:  E Pluribus Unum has thirteen letters in it.  The term ex pluribus unum (a minor variation) dates to ancient times, where Saint Augustine uses it in his c. 397-398 Confessions (Book IV.)   E Pluribus Unum still appears on U.S. coins even though it is no longer the official national motto.  That honor was given to In God We Trust in 1956 by an Act of Congress (36 U.S.C. § 302.)   http://coins.about.com/od/uscoins/f/e_pluribus_unum.htm

HathiTrust is a large-scale collaborative repository of digital content from research libraries including content digitized via the Google Books project and Internet Archive digitization initiatives, as well as content digitized locally by libraries.  HathiTrust was founded in October 2008 by the thirteen universities of the Committee on Institutional Cooperation and the University of California.  The partnership includes over 60 research libraries across the United States and Europe, and is based on a shared governance structure.  Costs are shared by the participating libraries and library consortia.  The repository is administered by Indiana University and the University of Michigan.  The Executive Director of HathiTrust is John Price Wilkin, who has led large-scale digitization initiatives at the University of Michigan since the mid 1990s.  As of January 2012, HathiTrust comprises over 10 million volumes, over 2.7 million of which are public domain.  HathiTrust provides a number of discovery and access services, notably, full-text search across the entire repository.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HathiTrust

Oct. 15, 2012  “I cannot imagine a definition of fair use that world not encompass the transformative uses made by Defendants’ MDP [Mass Digitization Project] and would require that I terminate this invaluable contribution to the progress of science and the cultivation of the arts that at the same time effectuates the ideals espoused by the ADA [Americans with Disabilities Act].”  This statement appeared in the opinion of Judge Harold Baer Jr. of the U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, in his decision in Authors Guild v. HathiTrust.  The plaintiffs in the case, The Authors Guild, asserted “claims for copyright infringement for the alleged unauthorized reproduction and distribution of books owned by the Universities.”  The case referred to the library-owned, in-copyright books that had been digitized by Google, copies of which were deposited by the libraries in the HathiTrust repository. HathiTrust, located at the University of Michigan, is a shared digital preservation facility that serves more than 60 universities and higher education consortia.  Baer decided firmly on the side of HathiTrust and, in particular, on its fair use defense.  (Documents related to the case are available at The Public Index.)  

The decision states the following:

·         The digitization of books for the purposes of providing a searchable index is transformative, and therefore, Fair Use under copyright law.
·         The provision of these search capabilities “promotes the Progress of Science and useful Arts” and thus supports the goals of U.S. copyright policy and law.
·         The provision of in-copyright texts for visually impaired students and researchers is in direct support of the Americans With Disabilities Act.
In his decision, the judge replied to many of the challenges of The Authors Guild’s complaint and firmly rejected its argument that because libraries have special privileges under Section 108 of the copyright law, they are not eligible to make use of Section 107 fair use defenses. The Authors Guild made the claim in spite of the fact that Section 108 clearly states, “(f) Nothing in this section— … (4) in any way affects the right of fair use as provided by section 107 …”  The Authors Guild’s suit also claimed that a breech of digital security at HathiTrust could result in widespread piracy.  However, The Authors Guild was unable to provide any information about security at HathiTrust that would make this a convincing argument for the termination of the service, and HathiTrust was able to show that it is using state-of-the-art security measures.  The judge rejected this argument as grounds for halting HathiTrust and requiring the destruction of existing digital copies, as The Authors Guild suit had demanded.  The judge also rejected The Authors Guild’s claim of potential future infringement on the part of the HathiTrust orphan works project.  That project was halted in September 2011 when The Authors Guild identified the rightsholders of several books on a list of presumed orphan works provided by HathiTrust.  Because no digitized orphan works had been released by HathiTrust for reading, the judge determined this particular suit to be premature.  Karen Coyle  http://newsbreaks.infotoday.com/NewsBreaks/HathiTrust-Lawsuit-Decision-Reaffirms-Libraries-in-the-Digital-Age-85546.asp 

Search the HathiTrust Digital Library at:  http://www.hathitrust.org/

Jan. 4, 2013  LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- It's the third most common cause of death in the United States.  And as the lung disease chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) progresses, damage can be irreversible.  Now a new instrument is helping people who suffer from this chronic disease breathe a little easier.  It's a musical as well as medical treatment.  Some people with COPD have excess mucus in their lungs.  When patients blow into the "Lung Flute," sound waves are sent down the airways, mobilizing that mucus.  Studies show using it twice a day improves lung congestion and other COPD symptoms.  The Lung Flute is FDA-approved.  Insurance typically covers the cost, but if you'd rather pay out of pocket, the lung flute and a six-month supply of reeds runs about $50.  A doctor's prescription is needed to get one.  http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/health/your_health&id=8942927 

Q:  How big was George Washington's cabinet?
A:  It included Vice President John Adams, Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton, War Secretary Henry Knox, and Attorney General Edmund Randolph.
Q:  Who can order the flag to be lowered to half-staff?
A:  Federal law gives this power to the president and the governors.  They may lower the flag to recognize the passing of anyone, including foreigners.  Also, the law requires flags be at half-staff until noon on Memorial Day and all day for Peace Officers Memorial Day (May 15.)   Generally, the law suggests the flag be at half-staff for 30 days for sitting and former presidents; for 10 days for a sitting vice president, the chief justice or a former chief justice, and the speaker of the House; until burial for associate justices, secretaries of military branches, and former vice presidents; and until the end of the day of death for members of Congress.  http://www.thecourier.com/Opinion/columns/2013/Jan/JU/ar_JU_011413.asp?d=011413,2013,Jan,14&c=c_13