The most borrowed book last year in Basque, 'Bar Gloria' by Nerea Ibarzabal
- In the libraries of Araba, Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa, 2.7 million loans were made in 2023, about 100,000 more than in 2018.
In addition to covering the downturn caused by the pandemic, the pre-pandemic level in the book lending system has been exceeded. The network of libraries under the Basque Government has recently given its data on the threshold of International Book Day and has welcomed the increase in use, noting that the service performs social functions. Kuriously, the author of a more borrowed Spanish book, not so long ago, was a source of controversy because he said that the free loan of books represents "damage".
Currently, the library network consists of 297 libraries located in 198 municipalities, with almost 6.9 million borrowed copies.
In Basque, the most borrowed of the physical books has been the Bar Gloria de Nerea Ibarzabal. The novel reflects the experiences of Rakel, Ana and Miguel, children of families settled in a Gipuzkoan industrial village who leave their residence to achieve a better economic situation. You can read the interview by Amaia Lekunberri in number 2,812 of ARGIA.
The second of the most borrowed books in Euskera was the material for the Construction of Eider Rodríguez, which Danele Sarriugarte interviewed in No. 2,769 of ARGIA. And the third, Azken etxea de Arantza Urretabizkaia, awarded by the Academy 11.
Electronic books also go up
Compared to physicists, and even though someone had ever doubted, electronic books are still behind. Of the 2.7 million loans made last year, 2.6 million were made in physical books and another 122,000 in electronic books. You have to register on the eLiburutegia portal, which already has over 65,000 people, almost 7,000 more in a single year.
Among the most borrowed electronic books in Euskera are the Bar Gloria and the material for construction, in addition to the 19 chamber publications by Amets Arzallus and Ibrahima Balde Miñan and Jon Arretxe.
Book Day in ARGIA
As in previous years, ARGIA will make a gesture to the International Book Day on April 23, and all books edited so far will have a 10% discount at the ARGIA fair.
The reader will be found in the Rumorea that already has its second edition. The sheep have made me the pastors' book (Josebe Blanco), Ño! comic (Eli Pagola, Miren Artetxe and Maitane Gartziandia), Planet Precario (Pello Zubiria) or Bidean with third edition (Koldo Rabadam).
Of course, the same offer will apply to the best-known books by Baratze Bizi, both by Jakoba Errekondo and by Garbiñe Larrea.
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