University renews agreement with Basque studies society
A mutually beneficial “exchange” program was renewed this May between the University’s Basque Studies Library and Eusko Ikaskuntza, a Basque cultural and research organization located in northern Spain's Basque region. This exchange aims to strengthen both groups’ collections of Basque-related materials, sharing copies of any new publications (including books, journals, CDs, and more) that each produces.
Steven Zink, dean of libraries, signed an agreement May 1 with Josemari Velez de Mendizabal Azkarraga, director of Eusko Ikaskuntza, the Society of Basque Studies (EI-SEV) in San Sebastian, Spain. The agreement to collaborate and share publications was signed by the EI-SEV director, representing its president Javier Retegi Ayastui. It represents an extension of an agreement signed 10 years ago between EI-SEV and the University’s Center for Basque Studies. Also on hand for the signing ceremony was the center’s current director, Gloria Totoricaguena, and Imanol Irizar, new head of the Basque Studies Library, who coordinated the agreement.
“This is a very important institution in the Basque Country that’s been around for close to 100 years,” said Irizar, who moved to Reno from San Sebastian on Feb. 1 to take the helm of the Basque Studies Library. “When I came, one of my goals was to make agreements and collaborate with as many of these Basque groups as possible.” He said he has already arranged for similar agreements with the Basque government to share any new publications and with several other public Basque institutions, including universities and county governments.
According to this agreement, the University’s Basque Studies Library will automatically receive one copy of any new publication from EI-SEV and, in turn, will donate a copy of each new publication from the University’s Center for Basque Studies to EI-SEV. To further strengthen both institutions’ collections, EI-SEV will also donate any of their past publications that are not yet a part of the University’s collection and the Basque Studies Library will provide EI-SEV a list of their materials that may be of interest to them.
“It’s good for us and our researchers and it’s good for them to have their publications available in the United States,” declared Irizar. “They were very happy to send their materials to us. It’s a way to spread awareness of Basque studies in our area.”
The original agreement between EI-SEV and the University’s Center for Basque Studies was signed in December 1995 by then-director William Douglass and EI-SEV then-president Gregorio Monreal.
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