In 2019, Bethany Schmidt vacationed with her family in Maine. She enjoyed the visit so much she decided to leave her job at a Seattle nonprofit and move to Maine. Schmidt arrived March 1 eager to look for a new job. Her optimism lessened a few days later when the coronavirus hit. Eventually, she found a job at Boothbay Harbor Memorial Library as a community technology coordinator. 

“It was sad. I thought I was going in a great direction, and things really slowed down with the virus. So I had to wait a while before I finally landed a job here,” she said. Schmidt began on Oct. 1. The Hastings, Nebraska native graduated from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln with degrees in journalism and political science. Following graduation, she sought a different career path toward education and librarian science. In Seattle, she worked at a small environmental nonprofit’s education department. She taught programs about water cycles, water sheds, salmon and natural science.

In Boothbay Harbor, she is currently coordinating the library’s Winter Reading Challenge which is divided into two categories. One is for adults, The other is for kids and families. Both groups receive reading lists and check them off as they finish a book. Participants receive raffle tickets which are drawn for monthly prizes and a final grand prize on March 31.  Prizes include Kindles, Disney-plus subscriptions and popcorn tins.

Schmidt described Maine as being similar to Nebraska. Her hometown has an estimated population of 25,000 and is the birthplace of Kool-aid. Even though her hometown is a small city, she described it as a lot like her new home. “People on the-street wave to one another, and it’s very neighborly just like Maine.” Schmidt enjoyed living in Seattle, but became frustrated with living in a large city. “It’s very expensive, and the traffic is very challenging. So I decided it was time for a change.”

The pandemic allowed her more time to devote toward her favorite activity: Baking. “I love to bake bread. It was a great time to hone my skills and bake some hearty breads, and read some amazing cookbooks,” she said. Schmidt also enjoys Maine’s abundance of hiking trails. “It’s great to go out for a long hike and the ocean is so near, you can hike on the beach.”

Nebraska has a long history as a college football powerhouse, but when Schmidt cheers “Go big red!” it’s for another Cornhusker squad. “Last night (Nov. 12) was the annual Red and White Cornhusker (women’s) volleyball scrimmage. So I was so glad to finally see them play.”