Juozas Adomaitis known by his pen name Šernas (1859–1922) was a Lithuanian non-fiction writer. He contributed to the Lithuanian-language newspapers Aušra and briefly served as editor of Varpas. In 1895, he moved to the United States where he worked as editor of the Lithuanian weekly Lietuva. He published about 20 popular science books about biology, ethnology, geography, history of writing.

Varpas was a monthly Lithuanian-language newspaper published during the Lithuanian press ban from January 1889 to December 1905. Because its publication was illegal in Lithuania, then part of the Russian Empire, it was printed in Tilsit and Ragnit in German East Prussia and smuggled into Lithuania by the knygnešiai. Varpas, with circulation of about 500 to 1,000 copies, played a pivotal role in the Lithuanian National Revival. Tautiška giesmė, one of poems by founder and editor Vincas Kudirka written to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Varpas, became the Lithuanian national anthem. Editorial staff of Varpas later started two more specialized publications: more practical Ūkininkas for less educated peasants and apolitical Naujienos for general public.