Polansky honored for 56-year career at Hamilton Library

UH Mānoa’s longest-serving librarian receives Nina Horio Award on Aug. 13

Colleagues applaud Polansky on her award

Pat Polansky

HONOLULU—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. 

“Pat is probably the most well-known Russian bibliographer in North America, and during her long and storied career, she has built a world-renowned collection focusing on the Asian half of Russia, including Russia’s influence in Hawai‘i,” said University Librarian Clem Guthro. “She has, without a doubt, influenced scores of Russian studies students, faculty and scholars from around the world.”

A rare and prestigious honor, the Nina Horio Award has only been given seven times before in its 32 year existence, and the last time was in 2021. 

“The award is given in recognition of substantial contributions to the work of Hamilton Library and the community it serves,” Guthro said. “It is certainly a fitting honor for Hamilton’s longest-serving librarian.”

Its namesake – and first recipient – was a science and technology librarian at Hamilton Library from 1980-1993, who is credited with establishing a separate faculty classification for UH librarians. “That has been her lasting legacy,” said Polansky, who was one of the award’s co-founders. 

Polansky and former Hamilton librarian Karen Peacock created the award in 1993 to honor their dear friend and colleague, who had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. 

Earlier this year, Polansky’s colleagues in the Asia Collection nominated her for the honor, which was approved by the Library Faculty Senate. 

“She is undeniably a most deserving recipient of this award,” said Monica Ghosh, chair of the Asia Collection and South Asia Studies librarian. “Her five-decade career is a model of excellence, marked by distinguished scholarship, visionary collection development, and steadfast service to the library profession,” Ghosh said. “It is a genuine honor and a privilege to have her as a colleague.”

Polansky’s longtime collaborator Amir Khisamutdinov, a historian at Far Eastern State University and senior library specialist at Far Eastern Branch Russian Academy of Sciences in Vladivostok, has one word for Hamilton Library’s Russia Collection: “Priceless.”

“Some of the books Hamilton Library has are not existent in any collection in the world,” he said. “It’s maybe one copy, which means in Hamilton Library, in Hawai‘i, on O‘ahu.” 

“Our strength, I feel, has always been Russia in Asia and the Pacific – we focus on that,” said Polansky. “So we have a lot of very unique materials here that aren’t held by any other libraries.” 

With no plans to retire, Polansky intends to continue cultivating the priceless collection to which she has devoted her career at Hamilton Library.

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Hamilton Library is the intellectual and cultural hub of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Its world class collections and librarian and staff expertise enable the learning, teaching, research and service activities of the university community. The library is a premier resource for Hawaiʻi, Pacific and Asia-related research and provides the university a center of knowledge grounded in our unique and diverse place in the world. For more information, visit manoa.hawaii.edu/library.