Author: webAdmin

By: Dwana Pinchock

For nearly 20 years, Katrina Leader has worked in the automotive industry, a field still overwhelmingly dominated by men.

She entered a garage at 19 and earned her safety and emissions certifications by 23. What began in her father’s family-owned business became a calling.

“I really enjoyed working on the cars,” Leader said. “But I also enjoyed the customer relations side of it.”

Over time, she noticed women visibly relax when they saw her in the shop. They asked more questions and stayed longer. Many told her they appreciated how clearly she explained what was happening with their vehicles. That realization stayed with her.

After years of considering the idea, Leader launched DriveHer Knowledge, an initiative designed to invite women into the car care conversation.

Her mission is simple: Help women feel confident discussing and understanding their second-largest investment.

A Different Experience

Leader has heard countless stories from women who felt dismissed or talked down to in dealerships and repair shops. She has also seen the financial impact.

“Women will spend, on average, about $7,000 more over the lifetime of their vehicle than men,” she said. “Just because they are women.”

That difference can stem from overcharging, unnecessary services and unclear explanations. In some cases, customers are told about services that do not even exist.

“You can tell some people anything, and they’ll do it,” she said.

DriveHer Knowledge aims to interrupt that pattern.

Leader does not want to turn every woman into a mechanic. She wants women to feel empowered to ask questions and understand the answers.

“You don’t have to know everything about your car,” she said. “But feel comfortable enough to ask questions. A lot of men don’t know either. They’re just not talked to like they’re feebleminded.”

From Bills to Brake Pads

Her classes cover foundational skills such as opening a hood and checking tire pressure, along with more advanced lessons like performing an oil change.

At her first class, she realized how wide the knowledge gap could be.

“Some women didn’t know how to open their own hood,” she said.

She worries about the safety implications.

“If you’re stranded on the side of the road with a flat tire or a broken belt and you have no idea what you’re looking at, that’s scary,” she said.

Workshops also include “BYOB” sessions, short for Bring Your Own Bill. Participants bring repair invoices, and Leader reviews them line by line.

“What was necessary? What was fair? What might have been overcharged?” she said.

She believes one hour of education can save participants hundreds of dollars over time.

A Library Connection

Leader connected with the Dauphin County Library System after meeting staff at a community event last spring. She was later invited to bring DriveHer Knowledge to the library.

She calls the partnership an honor.

“I’m excited that the library is offering a free program so women can get an hour of education,” she said. The setting carries personal meaning.

“The library was my safe haven when I was in school,” she said. “It was my quiet space.”

Although her associate degree was unrelated to automotive work, the library was where she studied and focused. Now she returns not as a student, but as an educator.

Redefining the Field

Automotive repair remains male-dominated, but Leader is not content to be the exception.

She wants women to walk into repair facilities informed, confident and prepared to advocate for themselves. She wants them to know reliability matters more than cup holders. Most of all, she wants women to understand that the conversation about cars belongs to them, too.

For Women’s History Month, Leader’s work is a reminder that empowerment often begins with the basics: opening a hood, checking a tire and asking the right question.

Sometimes it begins with someone willing to say, “You deserve to understand what you’re paying for.”

Visit Katrina Leader’s Facebook page to learn more about her and DriveHer Knowledge.

By: Dwana Pinchock

Anne Doucette reads a lot, but even for an avid reader, the library’s yearlong reading challenge pushes her to go further.

In this Q&A, she shares how the challenge works, what surprised her most and why she hopes more readers join “26 in ’26.”

Q: Tell us a little about yourself and how you got involved in the reading challenge.

A: My name is Anne, and I’m a public service assistant at the East Shore Area Library. I’m also the point person for the reading challenge committee here.

I love challenges. Anytime someone tells me there’s a new one, I’m going to sign up for it. The past challenge was especially fun because we had specific prompts to follow. I ended up reading books I wouldn’t have otherwise picked up — and some of them were really good!

Q: About how many books do you read per month?

A: Maybe five or six normally. The challenge definitely inspires me to read more than I otherwise would, which is also fun.

Q: How did the previous challenge work?

A: We had 25 prompts. Usually, reading challenges are just “read 25 books of your choice.” This time, the prompts were more specific and interesting.

For example, one prompt was to read a graphic novel where the main character has a disability. Another was to read a mystery where the person solving the crime is a woman over age 65. There was one where you had to read a book by someone from a different religious tradition than your own.

The hardest one for me was “read a book with a cover that you hate.” I eventually found one; it was a poetry book but the cover had these floating hands in the darkness. It was kind of creepy.

Q: So the prompts really stretched people beyond their usual genres?

A: Yes. It definitely pushed you out of your comfort zone.

This year, though, we’re doing something different. For “26 in ’26,” participants simply read 26 books of their choice.

Q: Was it difficult for you to step outside your literary comfort zone?

A: Sometimes. I don’t read a lot of nonfiction, and I thought it might be boring. I usually want to read about elves or something like that.

But I picked up The Professor and the Madman, about the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary, and it was actually really good. I didn’t want to read it at first, but I had to for the prompt. I’m glad I did.

Q: Did any books change your perspective or leave a lasting impression?

A: The Professor and the Madman did. It’s about a man who was in an asylum and still contributed significantly to the Oxford English Dictionary. It made me think about mental illness and bias — how someone can struggle in one area of life but still be incredibly gifted in another.

It really made me pause and think about that in my own life and about people I know.

Q: What would you say to someone considering joining a reading challenge?

A: I love being rewarded for something I’m already doing. I love to read. But even when you love to read, sometimes you don’t make as much time for it as you’d like. The challenge reminds me to sit down and take that time.

I would definitely encourage people to sign up. Even if you think you won’t finish, it’s still worth it. You’ll read some books and have a good time.

Q: How can people participate in “26 in ’26”?

A: It’s already started. You can sign up through Beanstack. If you already have a Beanstack account, go to “Challenges.” If you don’t see it right away, click “View More Challenges,” and you’ll be able to enter.

Even if you sign up now, everything you’ve read since Jan. 1 will automatically count.

Doucette hopes more readers join this year’s challenge.

“I feel like not enough people knew about 25 in ’25,” she said. “I hope more people in the public actually do 26 in ’26.” Whether you’re an avid reader or just looking for motivation to turn more pages, the challenge offers a simple invitation: Read more. Discover something new. Surprise yourself.

If you would like to join one of The Library’s reading challenges visit our Beanstack page!

By: Dwana Pinchock

When Kelsey Smoker talks about her sold-out sourdough classes, she still sounds surprised.

“I was telling one of my girlfriends how I’m always on standby trying to get my kids into programs,” she said. “Meanwhile, people are doing that for my sourdough class. We’ve kind of come full circle here.”

That full circle, from library kid to mother, from bread hobbyist to teacher of more than 1,000 students, has unfolded naturally over the past two years.

A Library Life, Then and Now

For Smoker, libraries have always been part of her story.

“My mom got me my first library card,” she said. “Once I got my license, I would drive to the library just to pick up books.”

Even when some friends questioned whether libraries were still relevant, she kept reading. Today, she and her husband read to their three children every night. When they visit the library, she said, her children’s eyes light up at the shelves of books waiting to be explored.

“The library has kind of met me at each stage of my life,” she said. “Now it’s somewhere I can take my kids to explore and open their imaginations.”

She hopes to pass along a simple message: Libraries are for everyone. No matter your interests, there is something for you.

What She’s Reading

Smoker gravitates toward thrillers and mysteries, often inspired by recommendations she finds online. Her current read is “Beautiful Ugly” by Alice Feeney, borrowed through the Libby app.

With three young children and a busy teaching schedule, she alternates between reading and listening to audiobooks.

“Sometimes it’s easier to just hit play while I’m driving to preschool or heading to a bread class,” she said.

Her shelves also include baking guides. She frequently turns to “The Big Book of Bread” by King Arthur Baking Company as she continues refining her craft.

“As someone who’s self-taught in sourdough, I’m always learning,” she said. “There’s no such thing as perfecting it. I’m always looking for better ways to do things, especially since I teach. It helps me meet people where they are.”

The Moment That Started It All

Smoker’s sourdough journey began at her kitchen counter. After the birth of her first daughter, she noticed a store-bought loaf of bread sitting on the counter for an unusually long time without molding.

“That kind of freaked me out,” she said. “I thought maybe I should look at alternatives.”

With a newborn at home, frequent grocery runs were not always convenient. She searched online for instructions on making bread from scratch. She began with yeasted breads before discovering sourdough.

Her professional background included managing multiple Panera Bread locations in the region. While she understood operations, she had not worked extensively in hands-on baking.

“The internet can be wonderful,” she said. “But it can also give you 100 different opinions on how to do one thing.”

She leaned into the science of fermentation and flour, experimenting and learning through online communities. She shared photos of her bread on social media, and soon friends and family began asking her to teach them.

From Church Basement to 1,000 Students

What began as a small, informal class at her church for 25 people quickly sold out.

“As of today, I’ve taught over 1,000 people how to make sourdough,” she said.

Smoker launched her classes in December 2023. By early 2024, demand had grown steadily. As of 2026, she continues to expand both her teaching and bread business.

She believes sourdough’s popularity reflects a broader desire to slow down.

“I think the world is moving so fast,” she said. “There’s a natural part of us that wants to slow down.”

Making bread creates intentional space within a busy life.

“There’s something genuine and wonderful about that,” she said. “People resonate with it.”

From Lunchables to Love

As a child, Smoker sometimes envied the ready-made snacks she saw at friends’ houses.

“I just wanted a Lunchable,” she said with a laugh. “My mom would say, ‘We have plenty of food at home.’”

Now she appreciates that most of her meals growing up were made from scratch.

“Everything at home was handmade,” she said. “Made with love and care.”

For Smoker, baking sourdough is not just about bread. It is about intention, nourishment and connection. Sometimes the most meaningful things do not come from a package at all.

Visit Kelsey’s Facebook page, Smoker Sourdough Co.,to learn more about her business and upcoming events!