Author: editor

By: Ann Marie, Information Services Supervisor

This spring, tutor.com expanded its AP® Exam preparation offerings by introducing new practice tests. Alongside in-depth video lessons in Advanced Placement Biology, Calculus, U.S. History, and World History, students can now strengthen their readiness with more than 40 practice tests spanning 17 AP® subject areas.

These tests are provided by the reputable test-preparation company The Princeton Review® and mimic the actual AP® test experience.

Use these practice exams to assess your current knowledge of AP topics and strengthen your performance by learning more about the questions you miss. Once you finish your practice test, you can connect with a tutor.com tutor and receive additional help with understanding those questions. Live tutoring is available to library members every day between the hours of 2 PM and 9 PM.

To find tutor.com, visit The Library’s research page at https://www.dcls.org/research/ and select it from the alphabetical list of databases. If you are outside of a library building, enter your library card number and PIN when prompted.

When tutor.com opens, a pop-up window will invite you to create an optional account. Tutor.com accounts are free and require only limited information from you to register. While you are not required to sign up for an account to connect with a tutor, explore the job and career resources, or watch videos, you will need to sign up for one to access the test prep and self-study resources.

With many of the AP® Exams taking place this May, now is a perfect time to explore all the ways tutor.com can help you prepare.

Should you need additional assistance with finding and using tutor.com, please stop by The Library and ask for guidance.

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.

By: Maria Lagasca, Public Services Director

April brings spring showers, flowers, and National Library Week, a time for us to celebrate our dedicated library staff, the foundations that support us, and the community that makes our library thrive. According to the American Library Association, this year’s theme, “Find Your Joy,” “is an invitation for people of all backgrounds to explore and discover what sparks joy in them at the library.”

In a time when the past few years have felt especially stressful for many, creating, alongside offering resources and essential services, feels more important than ever for our shared well-being. Dauphin County Library System (DCLS) is committed to bringing our community joy by ensuring we keep our spaces welcoming, our services meet the needs of the community, and our resources accessible to all.

When you visit one of our eight branches, joy is inevitable. Whether it comes from seeing your favorite librarian, spotting the next Diana Gabaldon book on the shelf with no holds, or breathing in the scent of timeworn pages (to each their own), there is always joy to be found at DCLS. Joy is also present in the lives of the many neighbors we help connect with jobs, housing, and basic essentials, thanks to our dedicated social workers. Sometimes joy arrives slowly, like a new friend, growing as trust builds and brings with it a sense of safety and comfort. You may not always be able to name it, but you can feel the trust, the trust that the library will provide not only books, but accurate information, and will meet you where you are. That trust is a gift, and we are grateful for it.

DCLS invites you, especially if you’ve been away for a while, to find your joy in our libraries not just during National Library Week, but every day. If you need help discovering that joy, we will do our very best, and our best is unlike anything else you’ll find. Libraries are one of the last institutions that ask nothing of you: no fee to enter, no cost to explore, and open access to resources, space, and support. Libraries are here to serve you. Stop in and stand up for the right to read; come by and thank the library staff; drop in and support equitable access; walk through our doors and find your story.

As always, thank you for your unwavering support of DCLS.

Happy National Library Week!