The Arrasate Municipal Library has completed six decades as a driving force in local cultural life, fostering reading and intergenerational encounters. From its origins in 1966 at Garibai House to its current location in Kulturate, it has woven a silent bond connecting six generations, promoting reading habits and establishing itself as a dynamic and essential space for the municipality's cultural life.
The library's vitality is confirmed by the data from the 2025 report, which highlights a significant increase in membership. In the last year alone, 426 new registrations were recorded, reflecting the 'udal liburutegia's' ability to attract and retain new audiences. The lending service remains a central pillar, although the previous year saw a slight 2.6% decrease after reaching a historic high in 2024. Nevertheless, the trend over the last five years shows a clear upward trajectory, increasing from 28,131 to 33,459 operations.
The report also notes the clear predominance of physical books over other formats, such as multimedia (music and video), which have lost ground. Despite the rise of screens, paper remains the preferred option for a community seeking a more leisurely and direct reading experience. This commitment is reflected in sustained investment, with the Arrasate City Council allocating almost all of the 40,000 euros budgeted last year, enabling the organization of 145 activities with 3,511 participants.
The library boasts an extensive collection of 77,898 items, of which 70,383 are housed in Kulturate and the remaining 7,515 in the Santa Marina neighborhood library. Furthermore, Arrasate is among the municipalities with over 10,000 inhabitants that show the highest level of use of eLiburutegia, the online lending platform.
Looking to the future, the library has several projects underway, including ArrasaTeka, a database that will compile the municipality's digital heritage, and the expansion of the Santa Marina library. The latter will provide the neighborhood with a more spacious, renovated, and suitable area, thanks to works that the Council plans to put out to tender "between May and June."
As part of its commitment to promoting reading, and coinciding with Book Day, the Kulturate service has scheduled various activities for this month. These include the workshop "Liburu bat maleta bat da" (A Book is a Suitcase) to be given by Arrasate artist Helena Azkarragaurizar on April 23, aimed at Primary Education students. The following day, April 24, younger children can enjoy "Ttinka," a theater and song show with Arantxa Hirigoyen and Philippe Albor at Kulturate.
