Amish Get Buggy Parking At Local Library

This story is a neat little slice-of-life in an area with a not-insignificant Amish population. Amish patrons of the Charlotte Community Library in Charlotte, Michigan will now have an easier time of visiting, thanks to new parking space installed for up to three buggies. What actually went in was a hitching post and painted markings designating the area as “Buggy Parking Only”:

Some Amish regularly patronize libraries just as English do (although some access books differently – see the recent post on the “Amish bookmobile” in certain communities). Library director David Votta noted the importance of accommodating his Amish patrons:

“Asked them, some members of the Amish community, what it should look like, where it should go, and we contracted with local Amish welders to construct and install the buggy parking,” said David Votta, director of the Charlotte Community Library.

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The Atypical Amish Community at Unity, Maine

The designated area has space for three buggies. Votta said Amish people regularly use the library and there are buggies parked there a couple of times a week.

He said it was important to create a space for them because “a library should be a reflection of the community, and the services that we offer should be tailored for whoever our community actually is.”

The Charlotte library joins other Michigan libraries making it easier for Amish residents to visit: “According to Votta, the Colon Township Library and one of the Branch District Libraries in the Coldwater area have hitching posts.”

This community has four churches with around 450 total Amish residents, so I would imagine those spaces will be fairly well-used. Nice to see the library here becoming more Amish-friendly. Here’s the report from Fox 47 News: