A Humble Background on Library Service to the Amish

Articles discussing library service to the Amish are few and far between. It is clearly an under-examined topic in the study of rural libraries. Part of the difficulty is due to the fact that the Amish lead such private, isolated lives. It can be difficult for outsiders from "the English world" to understand their needs if they aren't articulated. Therefore this blog draws on many different sources Amish -- journal articles, news items, personal experiences, etc. -- to present as detailed a picture as possible of their lifestyle, in the hopes that through a better understanding of them as a people, library services to them can be improved.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Questions

Under investigation here are a number of questions pertinent to implementing library services for the Amish communities in a given region.
  • To what extent do the Amish in the region already use existing library services?
  • Would the Amish, in fact, like to make better use of the library?
  • In what ways could library services better accommodate their needs; e.g. should there be bookmobile services to locations outside of horse-and-buggy range of library buildings?
  • If bookmobile service were to be implemented, where should the stops be located?
  • And finally, what types of materials are appropriate for selection for these Amish communities?
The answers to these questions should prove vital in seeking to establish service to an Amish community. By exploring the matter in some depth prior to implementation, a library stands to save a great deal of time, funding, and effort, by establishing only those services which are desired, and in ways in which the Amish will make real use of them.
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