The Amish are a very traditional, reserved, and isolationist people. The very foundation of their belief system is to shun modern progress in particular and the outside world in general. They believe temptations and distractions found in the outside “English” world interfere with their relationship with their God. Therefore, while some of the established research has reported success in open discussions of library services and reading preferences amongst members of the Amish community, it must be remembered that not all of them may be so cooperative or receptive to such perceived intrusions.
When attempting to extend service to the Amish, there is no guarantee as to whether they will cooperate, or to what extent. Indeed, it unfortunately is entirely conceivable that they may choose to reject the offer of library services in any form. If this is the case, a library would be advised not to waste the time, effort, and funding needed to implement these services; instead, these can be directed towards more appropriate areas of need.
Because Amish communities can vary considerably across locales, and it is the bishop of the community who generally deems what materials and technologies are acceptable and which are forbidden, each Amish community must be considered unique. Therefore, what works for one library system may not work for another. However, those researching library services to the Amish in their own service areas may still benefit from a review of the existing literature in order to glean an idea of what approaches may be useful.
The Amish that I became friends with through a Community sponsored agriculture program will use a cell phone. As you said it was for business and I was asked to loan mine. He seemed to know how to work one and I felt honored to realize he knew that I would loan it. But they don't use buttons. His wife uses straight pins in her dress. They will go hatless, bringing them in case for a picnic. I am glad libraries will serve the Amish. They are good people, and sometimes are maligned.
ReplyDeleteThe communities surrounding Corning, NY have sizable Amish populations that often visit libraries and interact with their neighbors. The misconception is that the Amish are completely issolated, they are not. Of course this might be a regional occurence.
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