Support the Jon Bilbao Basque Library

Preserve Basque history. Support global access. Invest in the future.

Why the Jon Bilbao Basque Library?

As one of the leading Basque research libraries outside the Basque Country, the Jon Bilbao Basque Library serves as a vital bridge between the Basque homeland and Basque communities beyond it, supporting researchers, students, and community members worldwide while preserving thousands of rare and unique Basque materials documenting both the Basque Country and its diaspora.

How to give

Donations may be made through the University of Nevada, Reno Foundation. Every gift helps preserve and share Basque history for future generations. Your support ensures long-term preservation and access.

People sit around a table in a large, well-lit room.

Why your gift matters

Your contribution directly supports preservation, digitization, access, and research, ensuring rare books, photographs, manuscripts, and community histories remain available to students, scholars, and the public worldwide.

Close-up view of spines of books in the Knowledge Center.

Why now?

Many of the materials preserved at the Jon Bilbao Basque Library, such as historic posters and Basque tree carvings in the American West, are fragile and at risk from environmental exposure and time. Preservation and digitization ensure these irreplaceable records are not lost to future generations.

Collage of two images. Left: a rough, stitched-style drawing of a standing figure holding a staff, with the word “ESKYS” below. Right: a vintage poster titled “WESTERN BASQUE FESTIVAL.” Text includes: “Reno & Sparks, Nevada,” “June 6–7 1959,” and a crest labeled “ZAZPIAK-BAT.” Additional text: “Opening Day Parties at Basque Hotels. Mammoth Sunday Barbecue and Picnic at Dick Graves’ Nugget–Sparks. Costumed Dancing Contests. MUS Card Game Contest—Tests of Strength and Skill. Basque Orchestra and La Jota Dancing.” Ticket note: “Tickets to Barbecue Festival $3.50 Per Person (Children—Half Price).” Reservation boxes read “For Ticket Reservations… ‘The Nugget’ Sparks, Nevada” and “For Room Reservations… Sparks Chamber of Commerce or Reno Chamber of Commerce.”

Recent impact

In the past year, the Jon Bilbao Basque Library expanded online access to its collections, welcomed researchers from multiple countries, and continued long-standing collaborations that make Basque history accessible to a global audience.