About the Basque Library

Interns working with Basque language materials in the reading room.

The Library was founded in the late 1960s under the auspices of William Douglass, the Basque Studies Program coordinator at the time, with the help of Robert Laxalt and the guidance of Jon Bilbao.  Over the years, the collection has grown to become influential in Basque studies, and is the leading library on Basque subjects throughout the world outside of the Basque Country.  Today, the Basque Library is integrated into the University of Nevada, Reno’s Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center, and combines the advantages of modern-day technology and strong relationships with the Basque Country's libraries and key organizations to provide the best services possible.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Basque Library
People studying in the Basque Library with a Basque flag in the foreground

The Basque Library fulfills the needs of the Center for Basque Studies at the University

As part of the University Libraries system, the Basque Library is able to acquire and supply Basque Studies researchers and academics with the necessary documentation and data they require.  The library is also able to offer traditional academic services and information to facilitate research work.

A Basque shepherd with a cart and sheep on a trail in a forest

The Basque Library serves as the center for information on the Diaspora as well as the travels of Basques abroad

The library endeavors to collect, protect, and distribute information, regardless of format, on Basques living outside of the Basque Country (known as the Basque Diaspora), especially those in the US and other English-speaking countries, in order to facilitate further research in the area.

Basque dancers lifting a Basque flag design

The Basque Library is the window for English speakers into the Basque world

The library's goal is to gather and distribute all materials published in English about the Basques.  The collection also strives to offer the best works pertaining to Basque topics published in the Basque, Spanish, and French languages.

Public collection

We are open to the general public as well as the academic community.  Patrons may consult and borrow books, videos, CDs, and CD-ROMs.

Journals

We offer hundreds of journals from the 19th century to the present.  The library collects periodicals about Basque issues in paper, electronic, and microfilm formats from publishers in the Basque Country and in the Basque Diaspora.

Archives

The Basque Archive conserves and offers materials created in the Basque Country from the 18th century and the Spanish War of 1936, along with materials created and donated by Basques of the Diaspora, especially those from the United States.  We also maintain archives created by the Center for Basque Studies and visiting scholars.

Photograph collection

The Basque Library maintains collections of photographs donated by professional photographers and individuals.  The photographs offer an important source of information about Basques and the Basque Diaspora.

Audio and visual collection

The Basque Library owns and lends hundreds of videos and DVDs created by and about Basques and the Basque Diaspora.  We also have audio recordings created by the Center for Basque Studies as well as those donated by individuals.  These oral histories are irreplaceable memories of the Basque Diaspora.

Ephemera collection

Although these items do not circulate, we can offer hundreds of pamphlets, objects, posters, and more, related to the Basque Diaspora.  These items may be used within the library.