GLAM/Newsletter/July 2016/Contents/Basque Country report
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Basque spring-summer blooming
Late spring and early summer brought some auspicious news from the Basque Country with a number of events and activities thriving in the context of Donostia-San Sebastian 2016 European Capital of Culture. Basque Wikimedian activity reached its climax at the edit-a-thon encounter held on 9 July next to the San Telmo Museoa.
Peace Treaties in Art 30 x 30 Challenge
Donostia-San Sebastián 2016 has provided the springboard for the Basque Wikimedians to launch the project Peace Treaties in Art 30 x 30 Challenge, a wiki-challenge with close connections to the city's special year and the commended San Telmo Museoa, located in the old town. The challenge, concluding on 17 July, featured the topic of peace and peace treaties. It targeted minority languages (Asturian, Occitan, Galician, etc.) and the surrounding geographical context with special emphasis, to a positive reception. Indeed grabbed the attention of many, and benefited from a prolific contribution.
The 9 July was an eventful day outdoors of the San Telmo Museoa, with an important participation and editing contribution of a good number of European editors of different ages and nationalities, like those coming from the Code Fest held at the nearby Tabakalera. It also included activities such as a crash course on WP, a guided tour through the Peace Treaties in Art exhibition, and a number of short presentations delivered by domestic Wikipedians and European WP representatives alike (WM Malta, France, Spain, Amical Wikimedia, etc.).
Presentation of the Basque Wikimedians User Group
After an year-long period in the pipeline, the Basque Wikimedians User Group is on at last! The paper-work has finally given way to a happy birth, including the group's official presentation at the 9 July encounter held in Donostia-San Sebastián. The president of the group, Xabier Armendaritz, outlined the history, prime operative lines and goals of the new user group that includes the Basque Country with all its Basque language areas, and a focus on tasks carried out both in the WP and its affiliate projects.
Wikipedians in residence, San Telmo Museoa
On 9 July, Lore Agirrezabal outlined her accomplishments during her time as Wikipedian in residence starting in autumn 2015. Her GLAM stint aimed at spreading contents of Basque Children Literature, highlighting the book collection stored in Donostia's Children Literature Documentation Centre, providing training in digital literacy and fostering the Basque WP, in collaboration with the above Documentation Centre, Basque Public University and other local institutions.
As of June 2016, Iñaki Lopez de Luzuriaga is the new Wikipedian in residence at the library of San Telmo Museoa for a five-month period, undertaking GLAM collaborative tasks related to the above Wikipedia challenge, as well as documentation management, aimed at highlighting the Museum's collection, Basque heritage altogether, and material available on the different Wikimedia projects.
