Universities Work Together to Preserve Idaho’s Basque Heritage
Tuesday, July 1 2008
July 1, 2008 MOSCOW, Idaho – A collection of materials relating to Basque culture and history will have a permanent home in southern Idaho. The University of Idaho has given the more than 3,400 volumes, housed for a number of years at the Basque Museum and Cultural Center, to Boise State University’s Albertsons Library for its permanent collection. “Part of our stewardship in building collections for the University of Idaho library is recognizing the regional impact of certain parts of our holdings,” said Lynn Baird, dean of University of Idaho Library. “We are pleased that Boise State University has welcomed these materials and that the collection will remain accessible to members of the Basque Cultural Center and others seeking to learn more about Idaho's Basque heritage.” The University of Idaho began collecting Basque-related materials in 1964 under the leadership of alumnus Boyd Martin and then-head librarian Lee Zimmerman. By the 1970s, the university added a course in Basque culture. When the Basque Center was established in Boise in 1986, conversations began to pave the way for the university’s collection to be on long-term loan. While the collection has been housed at the Basque Center since 1995, the center no longer can house the materials. “This is a welcome addition to our ever-expanding collection of Basque-related books and papers in the Albertsons Library,” said Marilyn Moody, dean of university libraries at Boise State. “The Basque library collection at Boise State University is a great resource for not only our Basque Studies Program, but for the entire Idaho Basque community. It’s our hope that this unified Basque collection will make it easier for any citizen in Idaho with an interest in Basque history and culture to find and use the books and information they need.” The University of Idaho materials join the Pete Cenarrusa Basque Collection at Boise State. As one of the Albertsons Library Special Collections, it consists of correspondence, writings, subject files, photographs and artifacts, focusing on Basque politics and culture throughout the world from 1938-2006. Idaho is home to the largest concentration of Basque descendants in North America and has the only Basque museum and language school in the U.S. Last year, the University of Idaho and the University Studies Abroad Consortium created the Basque Cultural Endowment in honor of Pete and Freda Cenarrusa. The endowment supports scholarships for Idaho students to study in the Basque country, grants for Basque country students to study at the University of Idaho and faculty exchanges. It also provides funding for Basque cultural events and activities at the university. Next year, three Basque professors will teach courses in the University of Idaho foreign languages and literatures department while 12 Idaho students study abroad in the Basque country. When the collection was placed on long-term loan with the Basque Center in 1995, the University of Idaho valued it at under $100,000; its current value has not yet been determined. # # # About the University of Idaho Founded in 1889, the University of Idaho is the state’s flagship higher-education institution and its principal graduate education and research university, bringing insight and innovation to the state, the nation and the world. University researchers attract nearly $100 million in research grants and contracts each year; the University of Idaho is the only institution in the state to earn the prestigious Carnegie Foundation ranking for high research activity. The university’s student population includes first-generation college students and ethnically diverse scholars. Offering more than 150 degree options in 10 colleges, the university combines the strengths of a large university with the intimacy of small learning communities. For information, visit www.uidaho.edu. Contact: Tania Thompson, University of Idaho Communications, (208) 885-6567, taniat@uidaho.edu; Frank Zang, Boise State University Communications, (208) 426-5391, frankzang@boisestate.edu. TT-7/1/08-LIB/ADMIN
About the University of Idaho
The University of Idaho helps students to succeed and become leaders. Its land-grant mission furthers innovative scholarly and creative research to grow Idaho's economy and serve a statewide community. From its main campus in Moscow, Idaho, to 70 research and academic locations statewide, U-Idaho emphasizes real-world application as part of its student experience. U-Idaho combines the strength of a large university with the intimacy of small learning communities. It is home to the Vandals. For information, visit www.uidaho.edu.