News

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Hindu Gods & Goddesses Digital Image Collection now available May 18, 2026
2026 Library Treasures Summer Scholarship winners announced May 12, 2026
Recycled Orchestra of Cateura visits Kani Ka ʻŌpala exhibit May 8, 2026
California 7th grader visits archives to research winning project April 29, 2026
Exhibition + symposium explore Japanese language education in Hawaiʻi April 17, 2026
2024-25 Hamilton Library Impact Report April 6, 2026
DKI Fellow Colin Moore spotlights Filipino veterans March 9, 2026
Library welcomes President Moetai Brotherson March 3, 2026
Library celebrates Mahina ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi February 24, 2026
Philippine Consulate visits Philippine Collection January 26, 2026
Hawaii Tenri Library closes, leaving books to UH January 13, 2026
Liholiho Elementary School students visit the library December 10, 2025
Taiwan Resource Center for Chinese Studies opens at Hamilton Library, strengthening its international profile November 21, 2025
Hamilton Library joined an international network of leading research libraries across Asia, Europe and North America on Nov. 17 with the opening of its Taiwan Resource Center for Chinese Studies (TRCCS).
Milton Murayama Papers Collection: Preserving the legacy of Hawaiʻi’s Nisei vets and plantation workers November 15, 2025
Cartographies of Skin & Soil: Philippine Tattoos, Resistance & Colonial Maps November 11, 2025
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Center for Philippine Studies and the Philippine Collection at Hamilton Library, the Cartographies of Skin and Soil: Tattoos, Resistance, and 1500s Philippine Colonial Maps exhibit was launched from Oct. 15 to 17 with a workshop series and traditional tattoo sessions.
New digital tools document WWII war crimes October 20, 2025
The War Crimes Documentation Initiative (WCDI), a UH Mānoa digital humanities lab, has released two new tools that shed light on Japanese war crimes in Asia and the Pacific during World War II, with a third coming soon.
Roland Kotani’s book now available online at Hamilton Library October 14, 2025
“The Japanese in Hawaii: A Century of Struggle” (1985) by Roland Kotani has been digitized and is now available for free online through Hamilton Library.
One month, five big art archive gifts October 6, 2025
In September 2025, Hamilton Library received a set of Louis Choris lithographs, artist papers for UH Mānoa Art Professors Charles Cohan and Ronald Kowalke, and additional materials given to the Isami Doi Collection and Ossipoff and Snyder Architects Collection.
Hamilton Library helps with online congressional archives project October 1, 2025
Hamilton Library’s Hawai‘i Congressional Papers Collection is helping with the American Congress Digital Archives Portal – the first-ever online platform to compile congressional archives from institutional repositories throughout the U.S. and provide open access to these largely untapped resources via a single tool.
Senator Akaka’s ʻohana visits his collection September 25, 2025
David Mattson, grandson of U.S. Senator Daniel K. Akaka, visited Hamilton Library on Sept. 12 with his wife, Elizabeth, and daughter, Catherine.
International AV archives conference showcases UH, Hawaiʻi expertise September 22, 2025
For the first time, UH Mānoa hosted this year’s joint conference of the International Association of Sound and Audiovisual Archives and Southeast Asia-Pacific Audio Visual Archive Association Sept. 8-11 at the East-West Center. IASA’s 56th annual and SEAPAVAA’s 29th annual conference showcased the important work of many UH and Hawaiʻi archivists.
Library launches Japan Studies Librarianship Practicum September 10, 2025
UH Mānoa Hamilton Library received a generous donation from the Uehiro Foundation on Ethics and Education to start a new program for training subject librarians in the fields of Japanese and Asian studies.
Library Treasures come to life with student talks September 6, 2025
Hamilton Library’s summer 2025 Library Treasures scholarship recipients covered a wide variety of topics in their research presentations on Sept. 5 in Room 306.
Hamilton’s Okinawan Collections active in 125th anniversary of Okinawans in Hawaiʻi September 4, 2025
While Aug. 25 kicked off a busy week on campus with fall classes commencing, it was even busier for Okinawan Studies Librarian Lynette Teruya, who was also working tirelessly to promote the annual Okinawan Festival on Aug. 30–31.
Okinawa governor visits Hamilton Library September 2, 2025
Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki paid a special visit to Hamilton Library on Sunday, Aug. 31, 2025. He was in town to attend the 43rd Annual Okinawan Festival and to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the Okinawans in Hawaiʻi.
Restoring a promise August 25, 2025
An enduring symbol of the goodwill between Japan and the United States that has been fostered by UH, the Kabuki theater model is now on permanent display in the Asia Collection Reading Room at UH Mānoa Hamilton Library. A reception on Aug. 18 celebrated its restoration and new location, which fulfills a promise made long ago.
Patricia Polansky receives Nina Horio Award August 13, 2025
Russian bibliographer Patricia Polansky, who has worked at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Hamilton Library for 56 years, was presented the Nina D.P. Horio Award for Excellence in Librarianship by her colleagues on Aug. 13 at Hamilton Library.
Complimentary Digital Subscriptions to Major News Outlets December 5, 2024
Students, Faculty, and Staff at UHM can now access The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and The Chronicle of Higher Education.
Rare and Historic Maps at UHM Library December 27, 2023
Librarians in the Asia Collection have been acquiring rare and unusual maps from antiquarian dealers with funds made available through the generosity of library donors. Numerous maps have been acquired for Northeast Asia that are in Russian, Japanese, and Chinese, which portray themes of interest to many countries – of note, is a recently purchased rare map of a Japanese castaway who lived in Russia Oranda Chikyuzu.
Changes to OneSearch Results December 24, 2023
During the winter break, the UHM Library made a change to how OneSearch delivers search results to you. We changed the search results from its current "Expanded" mode to a more refined "Filtered" mode. For those who prefer the Expanded Search, the Filtered Search results can be changed to Expanded by clicking the "Expand My Results" toggle that will appear at the top of the search results on a desktop or laptop screen, or at the top of the Filter options when you click the Filter icon (shaped like a funnel). This change will only affect the "Everything" search scope, which is the default search scope. Searches using the "UHM Library" or "All UH Libraries" search scopes will be unaffected.
World Digital Preservation Day October 30, 2023
The library invites you to join us in commemorating World Digital Preservation Day (WDPD) on November 2, 2023. The purpose of this day is to “create greater awareness of digital preservation” and the benefits and opportunities of “securing a sustainable future for our digital assets.” It is an annual event organized by the Digital Preservation Coalition https://www.dpconline.org/
200-year-old Japanese Whaling Scrolls Digitized July 7, 2023
The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Library received two rare, and previously unknown, Japanese scrolls. They were donated by Deborah Rudolph to honor the memory of her late husband, John Harvard Hawley.
The scrolls titled 鯨魚鑬笑録 (Geigyo ranshōroku), or “A simple overview of whaling,” were created in 1819 with the comprehensive depiction of the hunting, processing, and rendering of whales during the Edo period (1600-1868).
Students help to share Jean Charlot Collection in international exhibit May 23, 2023
The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Hamilton Library was a key partner in an international exhibition in Mexico City celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Mexican Muralist Movement.

A major holder of the works of renowned muralist, writer and former UH faculty Jean Charlot (1898–1979), Hamilton Library staff and students were involved in a year-long process to loan 25 of Charlot’s artworks for The Spirit of 22, A Century of Muralism in San Ildefonso, which opened in January 2023 at the Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso, México, D.F. The venue is the location of Charlot’s first fresco mural, started October 2, 1922 and completed January 31, 1923.
UH Mānoa Library hosts 2022 Pacific Rim Research Libraries Alliance October 4, 2022
After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Library will host the Pacific Rim Research Libraries Alliance (PRRLA) Annual Meeting, October 11–13. The cooperative venture of more than 40 academic libraries in 10 countries around the Pacific Rim aims to improve access to scholarly research materials in their libraries for the region.
Digital collections being purchased with ARPA funds May 12, 2022
A list of 24 digital collections purchased with ARPA funds.
Library Treasures Scholarships, AY 2021-2022 August 9, 2021
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic that continues to impact our students’ lives, the University of Hawaiʻi Library at Mānoa is offering for the academic year of 2021-2022 Library Treasures Scholarships. Students in any discipline and at any level of study are invited to submit proposals of projects that involve the use of the UHM Library’s collections, and whose final outcomes will result in either research pieces or creative works. The scholarships will be given to the best proposals. One may compete individually or form a team. In the case of a team, the scholarship will be split evenly among the team members.
HathiTrust Extended Temporary Access Service will end on August 22, 2021 June 16, 2021
The Library Stacks will reopen on August 23. Users will still have access to HathiTrust’s 7 million public domain titles.
Statement On Violence against Asian and Asian American communities March 25, 2021
A message from the University Librarian on the recent violence against the Asian and Asian American communities.
Serials Reduction for 2020 December 10, 2020
A list of journals that will not be renewed as of January 2021.
UHM Library is now providing a full access to The Chronicle of Higher Education July 29, 2020
The Chronicle is the leading trade publication on issues related to the higher education. The Chronicle is published every weekday and is the top destination for news, advice, and jobs for people in academia.
Access: https://www.chronicle.com/
Hamilton Library Loan Service June 26, 2020
Hamilton Library would like to remind patrons that the InterLibrary Loan Service is currently limited due to COVID-19. Hamilton Library aims to return to "normal" InterLibrary Loan for fall semester. However, our ability to fill the requests for physical loans will depend on several factors.
Statement on Racial Justice June 9, 2020
Black Lives Matter. The University of Hawaiʻi Hamilton Library stands with our black faculty, students, and all people of color across the US and Oceania. We condemn and call for an immediate end of police brutality and the dismantling of systems of oppression. We acknowledge our kuleana to one another, not only for personal care but for individual and collective action to make a difference in the world.
Urban Planning Emeritus Professor Shares Life’s Work May 20, 2020
Luciano Minerbi has contributed his life’s collaborative work to the field of urban planning through education, research and community service at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, as well as in communities throughout Hawaiʻi and the Pacific region. Over the course of his 50-year career since 1969, the emeritus professor from UH Mānoa's Department of Urban and Regional Planning (DURP) has amassed a collection which he is donating and is making available for scholarly research at the UH Mānoa Library University Archives.
More of Hamilton’s collection is now available through Hathi Trust April 8, 2020
HathiTrust is the largest digital library in the world. University of Hawaii is a member and students and faculty regularly have full access to the 7 million items that are in the Public Domain. HathiTrust has taken the important step and opened up copyrighted material in their digital library to member institutions with copies of those items in their physical collections. This Extended Access will endure during the COVID crisis.
Wong Audiovisual Center Relocating to Hamilton Library December 6, 2019
The Wong Audiovisual Center will close December 21, 2019 for relocation to Hamilton Library. Access to the physical collection will be inaccessible for approximately three weeks. It is anticipated the collection will be available in Hamilton Library at the start of the Spring 2020 semester (January 13, 2020).
Library Transitions to a New Library Services Platform November 4, 2019
On December 18, 2019, UHM Library Services and all other libraries in the UH system will go live with a new library services platform called Alma and its discovery layer called PrimoVE. The new system will replace our out-dated Voyager system and the front-end public access catalog Hawaiʻi Voyager.
University Librarian June 21, 2019
The University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa (UH Mānoa) seeks a motivated, dynamic and experienced visionary leader to serve as University Librarian. Building upon the many strengths of the University, as well as the unique attributes of Hawai‘i and its uniquely multi-cultural and diverse populations of students, faculty and staff, the successful candidate has an exciting opportunity to lead the Library in becoming a stronger intellectual presence in Hawai‘i and beyond.
Update: Clem Guthro hired as University Librarian
Sinclair Library Updates June 20, 2019
Timeline of moving Sinclair Library's music book collection to Hamilton Library.
Portions of Sinclair Library not accessible Saturday, October 13, 2018 October 8, 2018
Only Sinclair Library’s Grand Lobby, Heritage Reading Room, and ITS Wong Computer Lab will be accessible on Saturday, October 13, 2018. The rest of the building will be closed due to a planned power outage. Regular access to all study spaces are scheduled to resume on Sunday, October 14, 2018.
New student success center planned for Sinclair Library October 3, 2018
The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa is planning to transform Sinclair Library into a student success center. Ideally located near Campus Center and the Warrior Recreation Center, the center will provide students with a convenient and comfortable place to study and collaborate that will also include on-site student support services and academic advising. UH is asking the state Legislature for $41 million to renovate Sinclair into a state-of-the-art center to improve the student experience.
2nd Treasures at UH Hamilton Library Colloquia December 27, 2017
A diverse group of over 40 participants attended the 2nd Treasures at UH Hamilton Library Colloquia on November 1, 2017. The event was named “War, Languages, and Un/intended Consequences: from Diderot to after World War Two” and it introduced resources ranging from the 18th century encyclopedia (Diderot), to dictionaries and language learning textbooks across China, Japan, Korea, Russia, Southeast Asia, and the Philippines, as well as manuscripts and photos during the Occupation Period in Japan.
Pacific Collection awarded $1896 by SEED November 17, 2017
The Pacific Collection has been awarded $1896 by the UH-M Office of Student Equity, Excellence and Diversity (SEED). The award will be used to help fund Ke Au Hou: Generations of Pacific Librarianship, an international conference that the Hawaiian & Pacific Collections are hosting in May 2018, in conjunction with the Center for Pacific Islands Studies (http://www.hawaii.edu/cpis/)
Explore the Reef New Science & Technology Reference Exhibit November 17, 2017
A selected collection of books, articles, maps, and Web sites from the vast and rich body of information available on coral reef ecosystems.
Japanese Suicide Bombers, 1932 – Asia Collection Department Exhibit November 16, 2017
Asia Collection Department’s new exhibit, “Japanese Suicide Bombers, 1932” has been curated by our guest curators, Dr. Hanae Kramer of UHM School of Communications and Mr. Scott Kramer. Please come and learn part of history induced by World War II.
Serials Reductions for 2018 November 3, 2017
A list of journals that will not be renewed as of January 2018.
2nd Treasures at UH Hamilton Library Colloquia November 3, 2017
A diverse group of over 40 participants attended the 2nd Treasures at UH Hamilton Library Colloquia on November 1, 2017. The event was named “War, Languages, and Un/intended Consequences: from Diderot to after World War Two” and it introduced resources ranging from the 18th century encyclopedia (Diderot), to dictionaries and language learning textbooks across China, Japan, Korea, Russia, Southeast Asia, and the Philippines, as well as manuscripts and photos during the Occupation Period in Japan. Some participants commented that the event provided an opportunity to see firsthand the dynamic interactions and interwoven relationships among Asia and other parts of the world.
MOU Between The UHM Library and the National Museum of Japanese History (NMJH) September 9, 2017
The UHM Library and the National Museum of Japanese History (NMJH) entered into another productive collaboration and executed an MOU on Thursday, September 7th (see the photo). UHM will loan nine primary materials from the Asia Collection’s Takazawa Collection for a special exhibit titled, “1968: A Time with Countless Questions.” The exhibit will be held from October 11 through December 10, 2017, at the NMJH in Japan. The Takazawa Collection consists of over 50,000 primary sources on social movements in Japan during the 1960s.
Signing Deed of gift for the Senator Daniel K. Inouye Papers August 29, 2017
A ceremony to sign the deed of gift for the Senator Daniel K. Inouye Papers was held in the Moir Reading Room on August 29. During the ceremony a Japanese-language Bible belonging to Senator Inouye's mother was returned to the Senator's son, Ken Inouye.
UHM Hawaii Peace Corps Banners on display at the Library of Congress in DC May 26, 2017
Earlier this month, Hamilton Library arranged for the Hawaii Peace Corps Banner collection to be sent to the Library of Congress in Washington DC for display during the Daniel K. Inouye Distinguished Lecture Series on May 18, 2017. This year's lecture "Inspiring a Sense of Service and Idealism" focused on public service and civic engagement, for which the Peace Corps work in Hawaii perfectly exemplifies. The event was streamed live at the Richardson School of Law. A thank-you note from Daniel K. Inouye Institute expressed "They made quite a statement as people entered the auditorium, and provided the perfect context and backdrop for our discussion."
The Plot of the Tale of Genji and the Emperor System Lecture February 16, 2017
A great turnout of 80 people across the UHM campus and local community appreciated the public lecture, “The Plot of the Tale of Genji and the Emperor System,” on February 16, 2017. The lecture was delivered by Dr. Yuichiro Imanashi, a well-respected Japanese classical literature scholar and the Director-General of Japan’s foremost research institute, the National Institute of Japanese Literature (NIJL). The Library’s lecture was part of series of collaborative events involving the NIJL, the Center for Japanese Studies, the East Asian Languages & Literatures (EALL), the Honolulu Museum of Art (HoMA), and the Library. Tokiko Bazzell of the Asia Collection Department coordinated year-long preparations for the activities.
Preservation Steward Library MOU with US Goverment Publishing Office (GPO) February 2, 2017
The Library has signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) to become a Preservation Steward library. We are an early participant in GPO's Federal Information Preservation Network (FIPNet), being only the third library to sign an MOA to be a preservation steward.