Talk about culture with Garbiñe Egibar
Garbiñe Egibar is Deputy Lieutenant in the Department of Culture of the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa. On the occasion of the opening of the cultural space called “Koldo Mitxelena”, it seemed opportune to have a conversation with him about culture.
Elh. : Can you tell us the history of the Koldo Mitxelena library? Why has this name been selected? Isn't there enough library in Donostia?
G. R. There are not so many libraries, nor so many books per number of inhabitants. We are well below the European average and lack libraries. The reason for naming Koldo Mitxelena is also clear. If someone has given something to Basque culture, even if it is sometimes debatable, she was certainly.
Elh. : What material do you have now in Koldo Mitxelena?
G. R. The library of the Diputación is not an ancient library, but from the beginning of this century. Initially it was the library of deputies. When the deputies met they came from all over Gipuzkoa and ate in the Council itself, etc. they did and needed books to read in free time or rest periods. Thus was born the library of the Council. The most important contribution was the acquisition of the Julio Urkijo library, the most important library of Basque subjects.
Given this, it has been completed with everything published in Basque. To do this, other funds have been used, such as Busca Isusi, etc. Then, on the occasion of the opening of Koldo Mitxelena, a great effort has been made to achieve current issues. At this moment, when the Koldo Mitxelena library is defined, there are two pillars: on the one hand, we cannot forget that in Euskal Herria there is no national library, as happens in other nations, and on the other, at this time there is no approach to creating a Basque national library.
In any case, I think the Councils would be the pillars or pillars. Therefore, the challenge we have in Gipuzkoa is to complete and maintain everything that is published in Basque, Gipuzkoa and Basque funds. On the other hand, as mentioned above, the shortage of libraries in Gipuzkoa forced us to make a public offer to cover this need. However, the purpose of the Council is not to be a public library. Currently it exists and has to make that offer, but really the responsibility of public libraries must be of the municipalities. Therefore, as Koldo Mitxelena is not to think that municipalities do not have to invest. Therefore, for a few years, Koldo Mitxelena must be specialized in Basque funds and in human knowledge or humanities.
Elh. : Are science and technology human issues?
G. R. It is a human issue, but what we cannot do is go to the top. For example, I don't know which physics books, we believe that more than ours is university responsibility. We see the gap in humanities issues. Universities will have a different specialization. The same has happened to us with the documentation centers of Arteleku, where everything is at the top and what comes out in the world on these issues. In Koldo Mitxelena we can't get so far. We have to be broader, more general or more useful.
Elh. : When it comes to showing people your fund will you use the new ways technology offers? For example, digital access to books, the same with photos, etc. ? ?
G. R. We must certainly go that way, and with ancient books or most ancient books they are not available to people. There are things that are already in the microchips. We are also working on digitization. There is an encyclopedia on CD ROM. Therefore, we will work and work in these ways.
Elh. : Will some of the budgets be allocated to it?
G. R. Yes. However, to date new media have been purchased. We have not yet implemented any products.
Elh. : How have Koldo Mitxelena's criticisms been?
G. R. The reviews so far have been very positive. Many people have come. There has been a flood. Almost two thousand people have passed every day. I think all this will normalize. In addition, people have asked for books and consulted the computer. This demonstrates the existence of a demand. We have twenty points for information and people use them to the top without problems.
Elh. : We are in times of crisis. In these times culture is the poorest relative. Do you feel something like that?
G. R. Yes, it is noted, but we think that people in culture have to make the culture profitable and not for tomorrow, but for the long term, that is, we have to seek profitability for the long plan. In addition, social profitability must be sought. At this moment the crisis has taken everything, including culture, but we have clear that in times of crisis we cannot stay behind. In particular, in Koldo Mitxelena there will be no restrictions. In this time of crisis Koldo Mitxelena himself must be a point of reflection. Therefore, there will be declines in other areas, but not here. Now it seems that it is tourism, culture, etc. are the salvation of this people and I believe that if that is so for the culture that comes from outside, for the culture that we have produced or created.
Cultural and human groups need to be helped when they are first created, as there is no sense of an exclusive culture of administration. But these groups need to know that they cannot be at the hands of the administration forever. We cannot forget the path of self-financing, but we know that it will not be achieved. Therefore, a balance must be achieved with cultural groups: cultural groups are intentional and their activities are ambitious. The administration should be a promoter of the cultural industry.
Elh. : We are moving from rural to urban culture. Is there a connection or has it been lost in this step between the first and the present?
G. R. The hamlet is not something old, it is something modern. XVII. This is something exposed in the 19th century, when people turned to agriculture after an industrial crisis. I think that at present we are still looking back and we have too many connections, because we have inadequate connections. It is good to know what happened, but not to live from the myths. Therefore, every time we look back it must be to look forward and not to stay there. We have connections but not adequate connections. There are things that embarrass us and others that we have idealized. Therefore, a forum for reflection and a forum for debate is lacking. My proposal is precisely that: That is Koldo Mitxelena.
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