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The 18th Reunion of Basque Libraries took place in the heart of Semana Nacional Vasca in San Nicolas.  Representatives from six clubs visited different questions related to library work, including the diffusion of “eLiburutegia,” a platform for digital loans in Euskadi.  They also paid tribute to Maria Marta Arrachea who worked for years as the librarian at Denak Bat in Mar del Plata.  Arrachea passed away last February after battling a terminal illness. 

San Nicolas, Argentina.   Basque club libraries carry out a task that is as silent as it is important in their institutions.  There they conserve the history, not only of the Basque clubs, but in many cases of the wholw Basque community in each town or city.  Every year, as part of Semana Naiconal Vasca, a Reunion of Basque Libraries is held with this marking the 18^th edition.  Attending this year’s meeting were: Kika Vicente from Eusko Aterpea (Gral. Rodríguez); Irma Mosalini Zaldunbide and Silvia Echenique, from Toki Eder (José C. Paz); Alfonsina Leranoz and Noemí Pérez Zuriarrain, from Euskaltzaleak (Buenos Aires); Laura Nobile from Euskaldunak Denak Bat (Arrecifes); Mª. Fernanda Astigarraga from Euzko Etxea (La Plata); and Luciana Martín, from Euzkal Etxea in San Nicolas.

The meeting began with a summary of activities in which the representative of the hosting Euskal Etxea reported the experience of student internships in the Science Library; the result of an agreement between the club and the Higher Institute of Technical Training # 178. Mª Fernanda Astigarraga commented that "from the story it was emphasized that the methodology of internships serves to help the librarian's task and to make the bibliographic resources and the Basque language known in areas where it does not regularly occur," she explained. The dissemination of eLiburutegia, a platform that facilitates the reading of digital content on the Internet, was also proposed that would allow Basques in the Diaspora access (more information on the subject here).  The insertion of the Library in the community was also discussed, taking the case of the Lucio Echániz Library from the Arrecifes. Finally, the representative from the center of Jose C Paz shared children's books in Basque and Spanish with her peers that Toki Eder had received as a donation from the town of Oñati, in Gipuzkoa, its sister city.

Tribute to Marta Arrachea

Besides the presentation by Maria Fernanda Astigarraga, club representatives paid tribute to Maria Marta Arrachea.  Maria Marta was the librarian at the Denak Bat Basque Club in Mar del Plata, and as such she was also part of the subcommittee of librarians for FEVA, did research and participated in surveys carried out to find out the status of Basque libraries in Argentina.  In the words of Maria Fernanda, “Even after years of having left her post as librarian at Denak Bat, she continued to work with her successor, Viviana Rosa.”  Astigarraga was in charge of presenting her sons Aitor and Asier Ormaechea, who were also participating in Semana Vasca as dantzaris a gift.  It was a well-deserved recognition and a touching remembrance of Maria Marta.  A big hug to her children, as well as her husband, Marcelo Ormaecha, an old friend of EuskalKultura.com and a person who is also very involved in the Basque communities in Mar del Plata and Argentina.