ERIC Number: ED360977
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1993-Aug
Pages: 69
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Bookmobile Service and the Amish Community in Holmes County, Ohio: A Case Study.
Patton, Gayle A.
The operations of the bookmobile program of the Holmes County (Ohio) Public Library serving the Amish community were explored and observed. The Amish community comprises 40 percent of the entire population of Holmes County. Reading interests of the Amish using the bookmobile are analyzed informally to determine whether bookmobile services are playing an active role for this ethnic group. Information provided by the outreach/bookmobile librarian indicated the number of stops per week, the time spent at each, the circulation, and special needs of the community. The researcher rode on the bookmobile unit for one week and interviewed several community members, including two bishops and a community parochial school teacher. The bookmobile is used significantly by parts of the Amish community and provides a valuable service for its Amish constituents. The success of the service is largely due to the sensitivity and dedication of the bookmobile staff. The biggest issue facing the county bookmobile is collection development. Many books that the Amish love are no longer in print. The Amish are extremely specific about what they choose to read, and if the bookmobile does not supply these materials, its services will not be used. Appendixes contain a map of the area, a user survey, and a circulation chart. (Contains 22 references.) (SLD)
Descriptors: Amish, Bookmobiles, Case Studies, Community Influence, Elementary Secondary Education, Ethnic Groups, Interviews, Librarians, Library Collection Development, Library Extension, Library Surveys, Mobile Educational Services, Outreach Programs, Parochial Schools, Public Libraries, Reading Interests, Use Studies, Users (Information)
Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Masters Theses; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Ohio
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A