By: Dwana Pinchock
Andrea “Andie” Schmidt, our Print and Mailing Services Technician, is a Harrisburg native who spent time as a Los Angeles transplant before returning home. She’s an illustrator with a BFA and a deep, abiding love of pop culture and astrology.
So, Andie, what are you reading now?
“I just started Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney. She’s an Irish author who also wrote Normal People and Conversations with Friends, which were both adapted into series.
I actually watched the shows first and really connected with them, so I picked up Normal People and loved it. Her writing style is really unique. It feels conversational, almost like simple observations, and she doesn’t use quotation marks. It’s more of a stream-of-consciousness style. It was a little jarring at first, but there’s a rhythm to it that I really enjoyed.
In school, my creative writing tended to be very dialogue-focused, so reading her work felt different in a good way. After that, I wanted to explore more of what she’s written, which is how I ended up starting Beautiful World, Where Are You.”
What’s your favorite genre?
“I tend to gravitate toward fantasy, but more broadly, I like romance or relationship-focused stories. A lot of fantasy overlaps with that, which is probably why I enjoy it so much. At the same time, something grounded in real-world relationships, like Sally Rooney’s work, is really interesting to me too.”
Do you have any books you’d recommend?
“I actually haven’t read a lot of astrology texts yet, but I’d like to. Most of what I know comes from observation, but there’s a deeper structure to it. There’s a whole system with houses and other elements that people have studied in detail. I’d like to build more knowledge in that area.”
How did you get interested in astrology?
“I think I’ve always had a bit of a latent interest. When I was a kid, a relative gave me this tiny, pocket-sized book about Taurus, and I still have it. It had basic facts, and I always knew that was my sign.
Later, probably in college, I became more interested in personality frameworks in general. That was around the time Myers-Briggs became really popular. Then, when I moved to Los Angeles for school, I realized how many people, especially in art communities, are really into astrology. That’s when I started paying attention to all the signs, not just my own.”
As our Print and Mailing Services Technician, what is it like working in a non-traditional role?
“My expertise as a printer developed pretty recently, but I do think people sometimes don’t expect me to have as much technical knowledge, especially in production-heavy or machinery-based work, because I’m a woman.
There’s still this assumption that those roles are more for men. That can be frustrating, because I pick things up quickly and I enjoy figuring things out. My dad worked in IT, and while he didn’t formally teach me, I think I picked up that instinct to tinker until something works.
I would really love to see more women in technical and production roles.”
Behind the scenes, Andie helps bring the Library’s work to life in ways our members may never fully see, but experience every day. From printed materials to mailed outreach, her creativity and growing technical expertise keep things moving forward. We’re glad Andie is part of our team.