Author: editor

By: Ann Marie Megoulas, Information Services Supervisor

Each May, during Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month, we honor the lasting contributions that AANHPI communities have made in shaping our nation’s history and culture. Throughout the month, a variety of engaging and educational commemorative events will take place nationwide. You can learn about some of the ones planned for this year at https://asianpacificheritage.gov/.

To celebrate AANHPI Heritage Month on a more local level, consider visiting your local library, where you will find many books, eBooks, DVDs, and other rich resources on the topic. Here at Dauphin County Library System, you can also explore Asian Life in America, an expansive digital news archive covering the Asian American experience from the early 1700s to today.

Asian Life in America is a fully searchable database containing more than 35 million primary source documents. Updated daily, and drawing from nearly 19,000 U.S. and international news sources, Asian Life in America’s coverage is both timely and authoritative. Users can explore its content through a simple keyword search or dive deeper with over 700 expertly curated Suggested Searches, each organized by historical era and highlighting pivotal events, influential figures, and rich Asian American heritage. To learn more about this resource, click here to find and view a brief introductory video.

Hopefully, now that you know a little bit about what Asian Life in America offers, you will be inspired to explore this interesting and informative resource for yourself, and what better time than AANHPI Heritage Month to do so.

To find Asian Life in America, visit the Dauphin County Library System’s Research page at https://www.dcls.org/research/. Library members can access this resource from anywhere, at any time of day or night, by entering their library card numbers and PINs if prompted.

How might you make use of Asian Life in America in your AANHPI celebrations this year? Here are a few suggestions.

• Browse the suggested searches for an overview of the significant eras, events, and notable people.
• Find and read articles like Why It’s More Important Than Ever to Learn About the History of Filipino American Activism (October 20 ,2023, Republican – web edition)
• Compare immigration and citizenship policies throughout history. It is enlightening to see how laws and controversies have or have not changed over time.
• Search out and read articles featuring prominent Americans of Asian, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander descent.
• Compare how various news media sources report on a specific topic. This resource draws from news outlets from around the world, including many Asian countries.
• Perform a search using the term AANHPI and view the related content.

The comprehensive coverage, background information, and context offered by this database can help users better understand how people of Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander descent have helped define American society and culture. Exploring it can be a truly meaningful way to celebrate AANHPI Heritage Month!

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.