A rare century-old collection of South Asian lithographs and manuscripts is now available online to researchers and the public through the University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz�’s , with the launch of its .

Created in 1903 by Atul K. Basu, the collection includes 35 lithographic prints and three typed manuscripts documenting Hindu mythology and religious narratives. Twenty-nine of the lithographs feature Bengali text with handwritten pencil transliterations, adding another layer of historical significance.

Collaboration, technological advances

The digitization project brought together librarians, archivists, technologists and students across Hamilton Library.

“Working on this project was my first experience contributing to the creation of a digital collection and a meaningful opportunity to apply metadata and collaboration in practice,” library and information science intern Munju Kim said.

Kim helped digitize the collection and developed its descriptive materials under the mentorship of IT Specialist Alisa Kwok, who led the digitization effort.

Metadata Librarian Stasha Gardasevic said the project also explored new technological approaches for digital collections.

“This project served as an excellent testbed for exploring the use of AI in supporting digital collections discovery with the transcription of non-Latin scripts,” Gardasevic said. “Gemini Pro did an excellent job interpreting Bengali script.”

Web Developer and Digital Collections Manager Daniel Ishimitsu helped publish the collection online, while Monica Ghosh, chair of the Asia Collection and South Asia Studies librarian, contributed language expertise and subject knowledge throughout the project.

The digital collection is expected to support future research in Hindu mythology, South Asian religious traditions, art history and visual culture.

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The University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz�’s selected four graduate students as recipients of the , which support original research and creative projects using the library’s archival and special collections.

This year’s scholars represent the fields of linguistics, natural resources and environmental management and history. Their projects explore topics including Micronesian languages, trans-Pacific ethnobiological knowledge, public health in modern China and the early development of Japanese aviation.

The 2026 scholarship recipients are:

• Kelsey Bialo, a linguistics doctoral student, for the project “Exploring Minor Syllables and Sesquisyllabicity in Micronesian languages”
• Kelsie Kuniyoshi, a natural resources and environmental management doctoral student, for the project “Pilina Inoa: An Exploration of Trans-Pacific Ethnobiological Knowledge Through the Samuel Elbert Collection”
• SeungHyeon Pyo, a history doctoral student, for the project “Hijacking the Invisible Hand: The Language of Markets and Corporate Incubation of Early Japanese Aviation”
• Sijian Wang, a history doctoral student, for the project “Living with Toxicity: Chemical Disinfectants in China, 1910–1950”

Open to students from any discipline and level of study, the Library Treasures program encourages the use of archival materials, rare collections, maps, manuscripts, government documents, audiovisual resources and digital collections housed at Hamilton Library.

have examined topics connected to �鶹��ý, the Pacific, Asia and global history and culture using collections such as the �鶹��ý Sugar Plantation Archives, Tahitian newspapers and Okinawan magazines.

Scholarship recipients will present their work during a public event in the fall.

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A new exhibit in the Bridge Gallery of Hamilton Library at the University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� invites the public to play instruments repurposed from ʻō�貹���� (trash). Bike brake cables, SPAM cans, rice bags, and driftwood are just a few of the materials that make up the exhibit’s instruments.

Available through August 10, the “” exhibit by ethnomusicology lecturer Benjamin Fairfield combines ecomusicology with place-based learning and encourages examination of consumptive habits.

“The idea of accepting a label of trash as worthless primes us to see things as having no further utility and value,” said Fairfield. “This project is getting us to challenge those labels and think, ‘Is it really worthless? Can’t it still have a voice, a utility, be part of our song and part of our creative process?’”

Crafted in the classroom

Many of the pieces were crafted in Fairfield’s class, a sustainability-focused course initially supported by the (CSEAS), where students repurpose found objects into Thai musical instruments. CSEAS has also supported outreach workshops for Kani ka ʻŌ�貹����.

“The class is important as a course that uses an Indigenous approach to sustainable music-making by recycling found objects and promotes craftsmanship grounded in Southeast Asian studies,” said Teri Skillman, CSEAS associate director.

“I was thinking, how can we connect community and music in a participatory way that is also sustainability-oriented? That’s where MUS311(M) brought all of these things together,” said Fairfield. “When students take the class, I wanted to make sure that music isn’t this scary thing that you’re not allowed to do.”

Rooted in tradition and ʻ�徱�Բ� (land)

Fairfield’s project is largely inspired by his research as a graduate student and his time as a Peace Corps volunteer in Chiang Mai, Thailand, where he lived in a village with the Indigenous Karen (Pgaz k’Nyau) people.

“There were these musical traditions that were very interactive, and everyone had a role to play, whether it was dancing and clapping or joining along in some sort of singing capacity. Music wasn’t a presentational sort of thing—it was more participatory,” said Fairfield.

Currently serving as affiliate faculty at the and CSEAS, Fairfield brings a sense of inclusivity and creativity into his teaching.

“We’re going to celebrate sustainability and connection to the āina, and also repurpose these things as is done in the tradition,” said Fairfield, “Working with these materials is a way to connect people on a personal level to these objects that we otherwise don’t give a second thought to.”

‘Everyone’s welcome’

The exhibit highlights community involvement every step of the way, from collaborative works with local elementary schools to musings from local poets and professors.

“We explore musicality in a way that’s fun, engaging, sustainable, and hands-on,” said Fairfield.

Instruments featured also include those from a previous exhibit displayed in Capital Modern: The �鶹��ý State Art Museum as part of Fairfield’s selection for its . Fairfield’s illustrated children’s book, ties into the theme of the exhibit and is on display as well.

To learn more about the exhibit, visit the .

—By Josslyn Rose

A recent public talk at the University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� shed light on the decades-long fight for justice by Filipino veterans of World War II and the role of the late U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye in advocating for their rights.

On February 27, Colin Moore, associate professor in the College of Social Sciences, presented “Soldiers of a Forgotten Empire: Filipino Veterans and the Politics of Denial,” exploring how more than 200,000 Filipino veterans who served in the U.S. Armed Forces were denied promised benefits under the Rescission Act of 1946.

His talk examined the plight of Filipino veterans within the broader context of U.S. imperialism and the Cold War, while tracing Inouye’s decades-long efforts to secure justice. Letters written by veterans to Inouye reveal their frustration, anger and disappointment.

Moore’s work draws from extensive archival research, including visits to the National Archives and Records Administration, the Clinton Presidential Library, and the Daniel K. Inouye Papers housed in Hamilton Library’s .

The presentation was followed by a discussion among in-person and Zoom attendees, many of whom had personal connections to Filipino veterans who struggled to access promised benefits.

Neil Abercrombie, UH Regent and former governor, shared his perspective on advocating for Inouye’s redress legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives. are also available to researchers at Hamilton Library.

The hybrid event was organized by the and co-sponsored by UH ����ԴDz� and the Daniel K. Inouye Institute (DKI). Moore’s research is part of the , supported by the Inouye Institute.

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Deep cultural ties between �鶹��ý and French Polynesia were highlighted during French Polynesia President Moetai Brotherson’s visit to the University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz�’s on February 25.

While in Honolulu for , hosted by the East-West Center, Brotherson made time to connect with UH ����ԴDz�, including a visit to the library’s internationally recognized collections.

Pacific Collection librarians Eleanor Kleiber and Stu Dawrs, along with Hawaiian Collection Librarian and department chair Jodie Mattos, showcased rare and historic materials related to French Polynesia. Items included: 18th-century works from Captain Cook’s voyages, 1844 correspondence from the Queen of Tahiti to King Kamehameha III, signed editions of �鶹��ý’s Story by Queen Liliʻuokalani, and two editions of Brotherson’s own novel, Le Roi absent (The Missing King).

“It was an honor to welcome President Brotherson, and a joy for us to share items from our collections that highlight the historical and cultural connections between �鶹��ý and French Polynesia,” said Kleiber. “He seemed to appreciate seeing these items our library has curated to represent the strong connections between our islands.”

University Librarian Clem Guthro added, “Our collections are vast, global and contain a multitude of treasures that support research, scholarship and teaching. Welcoming visitors from abroad to our collections extends their global reach. Visitors like President Brotherson become our ambassadors; sharing their experiences with our library when they return home, and knowing we are a resource to them.”

Brotherson has served as president since 2023 and is known for promoting sustainable development, cultural preservation and regional cooperation across the Pacific.

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The Philippine Consulate General in Honolulu visited the University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz�’s on January 23, for an official tour of the library’s , offering a close look at rare materials that illuminate centuries of Philippine history and global connections.

Led by Philippine Consul General Arman Talbo, who took office in March 2025, the delegation of 17 consulate staff members was guided by Philippine Studies Librarian Elena Clariza through selections from the Philippine Rare Collections. Highlights included rare maps of the Philippines dating from the 1500s to the 1700s, Philippine Revolutionary Papers from the Spanish colonial period in the 1800s, and a U.S. military photo album documenting Samar Island in the 1940s.

The Samar album is a joint acquisition of Hamilton Library’s Russian Collection and Philippine Collection. It documents daily life on the island and U.S. naval operations during World War II, while also reflecting Samar’s unexpected global ties. Following the Bolshevik Revolution, the island later became a refuge for an estimated 6,000 White Russians—the deposed czar’s supporters who opposed the Red Soviets and fled Russia after World War II.

Talbo described the visit as “calm, inspiring, and quietly powerful,” noting the personal resonance of the materials. He shared that he may have identified a long-lost ancestor while viewing photographs in the Samar album.

The visit highlighted the international significance of Hamilton Library’s Philippine Collection and its role in preserving and providing access to historical materials that deepen understanding of Philippine history and its global intersections.

Read more at .

After touring three University of �鶹��ý community colleges last fall, —interactive exhibits exploring sovereignty and life force—are expanding across UH libraries statewide this spring. Developed by , a network of Hawaiian language, culture and ʻ�徱�Բ�-based education organizations, the exhibits will rotate through , , , and from January through early April.

The exhibits center on Hawaiian history, while inviting communities to actively engage with ea (life, air, breath, sovereignty, rural, independence). This semester marks the first time the activations will rotate simultaneously across multiple islands, amplifying messages of ea and aloha ʻ�徱�Բ� (love of the land) while uplifting Hawaiian history, culture and language.

The initiative began during a Kūkalahale E Hoʻi Nā Wai culture-based professional development training, where Windward CC librarians explored ways to indigenize library spaces. The idea quickly spread across the UH system, evolving into a coordinated, multi-campus effort.

“I was so inspired by the campus libraries tour last semester that I wanted to make sure that every UH library had an opportunity to showcase the beautiful activations and educate our communities that the ea of this ʻ�徱�Բ� still exists through our history, culture and language,” said Kawena Komeiji, Hawaiian initiatives librarian at UH ����ԴDz�’s Hamilton Library.

The exhibit, which toured , and in the fall, is made possible through partnerships with and Kanaeokana.

Exhibit dates and locations

Ka Lā Kealaiwikuamoʻo Ea and Ka Lā ��ūʻ�ǰ��ʻ�� – A journey centered on Kamehameha III and his vision of an independent lāhui (group):

• January 12 – February 6: UH ����ԴDz� Hamilton Library, UH West Oʻahu Campbell Library
• February 9 – March 6: Kauaʻi CC Library, UH Maui College, UH Hilo Moʻokini Library

Ka Malu ʻUlu o Lele – Explores Lahaina’s sacred history and cultural resilience:

• February 9 – March 6: UH ����ԴDz� Hamilton Library, UH West Oʻahu Campbell Library
• March 9 – April 3: Kauaʻi CC Library, UH Maui College

Ruth ����ʻ�������ō�����Ծ� – Honors Princess Ruth Keanolani Kanāhoahoa ����ʻ�������ō�����Ծ� and her commitment to ʻō������� �鶹��ý (the Hawaiian language), tradition and her people:

• January 12 – February 6: Kauaʻi CC Library, UH Maui College
• February 6 – March 6: UH Hilo Moʻokini Library
• March 9 – April 3: UH ����ԴDz� Hamilton Library, UH West Oʻahu Campbell Library

University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz�’s will receive the collections of the Hawaiʻi Tenri Library—one of North America’s largest Japanese-language community libraries—after its closure on December 13, 2025 after more than four decades of serving �鶹��ý’s Japanese-language readers. The collections will be processed and made available for research and learning.

Japan studies librarian, Mitsutaka Nakamura, was invited to speak at the closing ceremony, reflecting on the library’s legacy and its continued impact through preservation and access.

“I have lived in the United States for the past 20 years—on the East Coast, the West Coast, and in the Midwest. Yet I have seldom seen a library serving the local community so dedicated to Japanese-language resources,” Nakamura said. “While it is painful to see the library close, I am confident these materials will continue to serve UH and our community for many years.”

A legacy of Japanese-language collections

When the library opened in 1980 on Nuʻuanu Avenue, it welcomed about 100 guests, including the Consul General of Japan and UH faculty specializing in Japanese literature. Over time, its holdings expanded to nearly 50,000 volumes, with monthly patron visits peaking at around 700. An extended closure during the COVID-19 pandemic, along with demographic shifts and a declining number of Japanese-language readers, ultimately led to the decision to close.

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The University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� is giving readers and researchers a window into �鶹��ý’s Nisei experience by acquiring the archives of Milton Murayama (1923–2016). Murayama, a Maui-born Nisei author, playwright and MIS veteran, captured the struggles and triumphs of Japanese American families through his novels and plays.

, available in the library and online, includes drafts of novels, short stories and plays, unpublished works, correspondence, photos and other materials.

Murayama is best known for his novel tetralogy All I Asking for Is My Body (1975), Five Years on a Rock (1994), Plantation Boy (1998) and Dying in a Strange Land (2008), which fictionalize his family’s emigration from Japan and life on a Maui sugar plantation.

“We were honored to partner with Dawn Murayama [the author’s wife] in preserving Milton Murayama’s tremendous legacy, which will enrich the social, intellectual and cultural fabric of our community for generations to come,” said Leilani Dawson, manuscript collections archivist.

Dawn Murayama donated his papers along with a gift to support the archive’s work.

“My late aunt dedicated her life to her husband’s work. She wanted to be sure it was preserved and made accessible to future writers and researchers,” said grand-nephew David Wakukawa. “It’s important because it brings to life the Japanese American immigration experience of coming to �鶹��ý.”

Project archivist Tiffany Zarriello spent months processing, digitizing and organizing the collection. “Throughout this project, it has been an absolute joy and privilege to get to know Milton Murayama through the documents he’s left behind,” she said. (.)

The collection is now available online, with some materials requiring library access. Contact archives@hawaii.edu for details.

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The University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz�’s joined a global network of leading research libraries with the opening of its Taiwan Resource Center for Chinese Studies (TRCCS) on November 17. As the 55th overseas partner in Taiwan’s National Central Library (NCL) TRCCS program, Hamilton Library expands its international collaborations and access to resources supporting China and Taiwan studies.

Through the partnership, NCL provides Taiwan-published monographs, digital archives, bibliographic databases and other scholarly resources. Hamilton Library has already added nearly 400 titles to its collections and now offers full access to NCL’s electronic resources.

UH ����ԴDz� Interim Provost Vassilis Syrmos highlighted the significance of the partnership during the opening ceremony event. “This collaboration will foster new opportunities for dialogue, scholarship and exchange for years to come,” he said.

NCL Director-General Han-Ching Wang, who traveled from Taipei for the ceremony, emphasized the shared role of Taiwan and �鶹��ý in the Pacific. “We aim to build upon this TRCCS to strengthen the academic connection between Taiwan and �鶹��ý,” she said.

The opening also builds on a relationship that stretches back to the 1960s, when early East–West Center exchanges helped shape Hamilton’s China Collection. Recent discussions led to formal invitations in 2024 and this fall’s launch.

A delegation from NCL toured Hamilton’s collections, which included a plaque unveiling, signing of partnership agreements and exchange of gifts.

“The TRCCS aligns with our mission to foster international scholarship and build meaningful collaborations that benefit our students and faculty,” said University Librarian Clem Guthro.

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The ancestor spirit represents my deep appreciation to my ancestors, who I feel are always guiding me in life.
—King James Mangoba ()

As part of its 50th anniversary celebration, Hamilton Library’s and the Center for Philippine Studies at the UH ����ԴDz� opened , an exhibition linking 1500s colonial maps with tattoos as living archives of Filipino cultural memory, on view through February 2026.

Opening events, held October 15–17, drew more than 100 participants for workshops, talks and live tattoo demonstrations. Attendees explored how Filipinos have used body art and the written word to resist erasure—from rare 16th-century maps and letters from the Philippine Revolution to underground newspapers from the Marcos era, all part of Hamilton’s Philippine Collection.

Mapping identity through body and archive

Philippine Studies Librarian Elena Clariza opened the program with a presentation on early colonial maps, connecting “fragile maps on paper with living maps of the body—tattoos as archives of ancestral knowledge and cultural memory.”

Guest artists from California’s Spiritual Journey Tattoo Shop and members of Tatak ng Apat na Alon (Mark of the Four Waves) demonstrated traditional hand poke and tapping tattoo techniques, sharing their nearly 30-year effort to revive Indigenous Filipino tattoo practices.

“In the beginning it was just for us to find our identity, to represent the culture in some way,” said Elle Festin, tattoo artist at Spiritual Journey and a Datu (chief) of the Mark of the Four Waves tribe. “It’s important to get the tattoos to show the resistance and to revolt against the systematic colonial mentality.”

UH community connects to heritage

For King James Mangoba, a UH ����ԴDz� double major in communication & marketing and Hamilton Library social media content creator, the event was a personal and cultural milestone.

“The rice symbolizes my family’s livelihood of rice farming back in the Philippines. The ancestor spirit represents my deep appreciation to my ancestors, who I feel are always guiding me in life,” he said. “This tattoo is a permanent reminder of where I came from and my appreciation to my ancestors who came before me.”

Doctoral candidate Matthew Melendez, from the , participated in the tattoo sessions. “Receiving knowledge from the Tatak ng Apat na Alon tribe through our cultural portal of batok (tattooing) has profoundly transformed me from within,” he said.

The event was co-sponsored by UH ����ԴDz�’s Center for Southeast Asian Studies and Center for Philippine Studies, and Spiritual Journey Tattoo Shop. To support programs like this at Hamilton Library, visit the .

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Mark of the Four Waves members visit the Philippine Studies section at Hamilton Library.The post Exhibit links Filipino tattoos, maps across centuries first appeared on University of Hawaiʻi System News.]]> 225411 /news/2025/10/27/wwii-war-crimes-tools/ Tue, 28 Oct 2025 01:03:30 +0000 /news/?p=224371 UH ����ԴDz�’s War Crimes Documentation Initiative unveils new digital tools revealing WWII Japanese war crimes across Asia and the Pacific.

Reading time: 2 minutes

The University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz�’s (WCDI) has released new online tools uncovering Japanese war crimes in Asia and the Pacific during World War II.

Launched in 2019, WCDI is housed in and led by historians, librarians and Geographic Information System specialists. Using digital humanities–computational analysis of the humanities–they map, contextualize and analyze data on Japanese military operations and war crimes. The initiative’s research draws from more than 2,240 Allied war crimes trials conducted across 51 locations in Asia and the Pacific between 1945 and 1952, with the goal of making complex historical evidence accessible to students, scholars, and the public.

“WCDI’s projects illuminate the scale and patterns of WWII Japanese war crimes in Asia and the Pacific,” said Theodore Kwok, geospatial librarian in Hamilton Library’s Government Documents and Maps department. “They expose students and researchers to primary sources, information and data otherwise hidden or difficult to discover.”

The new resources include:

Interactive ArcGIS map, War Crimes against Ethnic Chinese: A Case Study of Group-Selective Violence by the Japanese during the War in the Pacific, 1941–1945, visualizes postwar Allied trials involving crimes against ethnic Chinese communities. It shows how Japan’s war with China (1931–1945) spread into the Pacific, revealing patterns of targeted violence and intimidation.

Text-searchable archive, Imamura Statements: The 8th Area Army Commander’s Apologia for Japanese War Crimes at Fortress Rabaul, digitized using Text Encoding Initiative (TEI) standards, offers access to two statements from General Imamura Hitoshi’s 1947 trial in Australia. His testimony sheds light on prisoner abuse around Rabaul and his perspective on the postwar Allied war crimes trials.

StoryMap exhibit (coming soon), The Sook Ching Massacre: Promises and Limitations of a British Singapore War Crimes Trial, March 10–April 2, 1947, explores one of the most infamous massacres of ethnic Chinese civilians and how Allied trials sought—often with mixed results—to deliver justice.

UH ����ԴDz� history professor Yuma Totani, who leads WCDI, praised the collaboration with Hamilton Library. “WCDI has a terrific team of librarians whose expertise in digital technologies, knowledge in the humanities, and commitment to collaborative work have been invaluable,” she said.

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The post New digital tools document WWII war crimes first appeared on University of Hawaiʻi System News.]]>

Roland Kotani’s (1985) has been digitized and is now available through the University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz�’s . The release marks the 40th anniversary of the landmark publication, long regarded as a cornerstone of UH ����ԴDz�’s .

“Kotani broke new ground by telling a history of Japanese and Okinawans in �鶹��ý that centered stories of resistance to oppression in a form that was very accessible,” said Kyle Kajihiro, assistant professor of ethnic studies.

Kotani was a writer, historian and community advocate who also served as a member of the �鶹��ý State House of Representatives. He dedicated much of his work to shedding light on the journey of Japanese and Okinawan immigrant communities, highlighting a century of resilience, labor activism and community building. Through his storytelling, Kotani captured how Japanese and Okinawan workers helped transform plantation life and shape �Ჹ�ɲ���ʻ��’s modern society.

Kotani’s legacy preserved

Hamilton Library received permission from Kotani’s daughter, Mariko, and his brother, musician Ozzie Kotani, to make the work publicly available.

“This book is foundational in its clarity and continues to be used in ethnic studies classes,” said Jodie Mattos, Hawaiian Collection Librarian and Department Chair of the Hawaiian and Pacific Collections. “This year marks 40 years since the publication of Kotani’s book, and its longevity is noteworthy.”

Mattos expressed appreciation to the Kotani family and Vince Watabu of the Hawaii Hochi, the book’s publisher, for helping make this important resource freely available to future generations.

Access the digitized book through .

With recent acquisitions ranging from rare 19th-century lithographs to the archives of �鶹��ý artists and architects, at the University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� continues to strengthen its role as a hub for Pacific and �鶹��ý art research.

“These gifts enrich our collections and ensure that we are able to provide a rich tapestry of materials to support teaching, research and creative activity,” said University Librarian Clem Guthro. “As the library for �鶹��ý only research university, we depend on the generosity of donors to help us build world class collections.”

A set of 57 hand-colored lithographs by Louis Choris from the 19th-century books Voyage Pittoresque Autour du Monde (1822) and Vues et Paysages des Régions Équinoxiales (1826) was donated to the Pacific Collection, which already holds both books.

“These prints are among some of the earliest visual documentation we have of life in the Pacific, and as such are extremely valuable for researchers seeking information on island society, material culture and environments during the early period of contact between Pacific Islanders and Europeans,” said Stu Dawrs, senior librarian in the . He noted that the Pacific Collection is acknowledged as the world’s largest and most complete library of material relating to the Pacific Islands region.

The also received donations, prompting new collections and additions to existing ones. Art Archivist Malia Van Heukelem is establishing archives for UH ����ԴDz� Art Professors Charles Cohan, retiring in December, and Ronald Kowalke, who died in 2021. Both taught art studio classes for decades, earning respect from peers and leaving a lasting impact on students and the community.

The Cohan Papers include sketchbooks, instructional materials and exhibition ephemera from his career as a printmaker. The Kowalke Papers feature faculty papers, sketchbooks, photos and records of his works, including his at the �鶹��ý Convention Center.

Additional acquisitions were made to the and the . The Doi donation adds original works—watercolors, drawings, prints and two self-published books—building on correspondence previously donated. Architect Sidney Snyder, Vladimir Ossipoff’s business partner, donated professional photos, index cards and awards documenting their firm’s projects. Snyder died on September 21, 2025, and had previously donated materials in 2010.

It’s American Archives Month, and the University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz�’s is playing a key role in expanding public access to congressional history archives.

Hamilton Library received $200,000 in federal funding to help digitize the as part of the American Congress Digital Archives Portal (ACDAP)—the first-ever online platform to bring together congressional archives from across the country. Led by (WVU) Libraries, the project aims to make these important but scattered records freely accessible to the public while supporting civics and history education for K–12 classrooms.

Preserving �鶹��ý’s congressional legacy

The funding will allow Hamilton Library to digitize thousands of �鶹��ý-related congressional documents, including more than 800 photos from the papers of Sen. Daniel K. Inouye, speeches from Sens. Hiram L. Fong and Spark Matsunaga, and materials from Reps. Thomas P. Gill, K. Mark Takai, Neil Abercrombie, Pat Saiki and Kaialiʻi Kahele. The project is expected to be completed by December 2026.

“This project takes some of the most sought-after documents from our library’s congressional collections and makes them accessible to the world,” said Dawn Sueoka, congressional papers archivist at Hamilton Library’s . “It also helps researchers to understand the work of �鶹��ý’s members of congress in the context of the archives of their colleagues, like former (House) Speaker Carl Albert and Sen. Bob Dole.”

Suyeoka and project partners were featured in a for educators produced by the Dirksen Congressional Center. She also plans to collaborate with the next summer to develop a high school curriculum based on Hamilton Library’s contributions to the portal.

Expanding national access to civic history

The ACDAP project helps remove long-standing barriers to accessing congressional materials, which—unlike presidential papers—are spread across many institutions. Danielle Emerling, associate director of WVU Libraries’ West Virginia & Regional History Center, said the effort helps people better understand Congress and makes more archives and civics education resources available.

Hamilton Library has participated in the ACDAP initiative since 2023, alongside other national partners.

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The welcomed 185 archivists and cultural heritage professionals from 35 countries September 8–11 for the first �鶹��ý-based joint conference of the and the , held at the East-West Center.

• Related �鶹��ýNews story: Global conference to tackle climate change, media preservation, February 11, 2025

Centered on the theme “A Loss of Place,” the gathering examined how climate change transforms landscapes, challenges cultural identities, and impacts media preservation, with international partners including UNESCO, the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian, and national archives and libraries worldwide.

UH President Wendy Hensel opened the conference at the Imin International Conference Center. “In �鶹��ý and across the Pacific, we know that there are significant challenges with climate change, the fight for cultural identity, and amplifying voices that, too often, go unheard,” she said. “The work that you do in preserving those voices, protecting and sharing these stories, ensures that memory endures and that wisdom is not lost.”

UH leadership, systemwide support

UH ����ԴDz�’s Library and Information Sciences program and the were among the conference’s financial sponsors. and faculty played key roles in planning, and presenters and volunteers came from across the UH System and �鶹��ý.

Participants took part in a workshop at the at UH West Oʻahu, toured , and explored Hamilton Library’s Asia, Hawaiian, Pacific, and University Archives collections. They also visited key cultural sites, including Bishop Museum, the Jaku’an Japanese Tea House at the East-West Center, and the .

“I thought it was a great opportunity to bring people here to showcase the library and our collections, and also focus on �鶹��ý and the Pacific,” said David Rowntree, digital preservation librarian at Hamilton Library and local organizing chair.

University Librarian Clem Guthro added: “We are a major research university, and we’re doing work that isn’t being done elsewhere in the world. Having conference attendees experience UH ����ԴDz� and �鶹��ý allows our work to be known and our reputation enhanced.”

A new training program for subject librarians in Japanese and Asian studies has been established at the University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz�’s , made possible through a generous donation from the .

Through the new agreement, one library science master’s degree graduate will be hired each year for the next decade as a full-time, nine-month librarian faculty member. Mitsutaka Nakamura, Hamilton Library’s Japan Studies librarian, will supervise the program, with librarian emerita Tokiko Y. Bazzell advising.

“This is an amazing opportunity for Hamilton Library to make a lasting impact on the field of area studies librarianship, specifically Japanese studies,” said University Librarian Clem Guthro. “Bringing aspiring Japanese studies librarians here to Hamilton will be a game changer.”

While focused on Japanese studies, trainees will also gain experience from Hamilton’s area specialists in China, Okinawa, Korea, the Philippines, Southeast Asia, South Asia and the Russian Far East.

“Hamilton Library plays a central role in the intellectual life of the University of �鶹��ý, and the Uehiro Foundation highly values its Japan Collection for contemporary and historical research,” the foundation stated. “We look forward to seeing future leaders emerge from this program who will advance the library’s mission and continue the collection and digitization of Japanese historical materials.”

The Uehiro Foundation has partnered with UH for more than 20 years, supporting the East-West Philosophers’ Conference, the Uehiro Academy for Philosophy and Ethics in Education, and the Uehiro Center for the Advancement of Oceanography.

UH vice president of advancement and CEO Tim Dolan added, “The Uehiro Foundation’s visionary investment ensures that future generations of librarians will receive the training and mentorship they need to thrive in the field. This program not only strengthens UH ����ԴDz�, but it also expands the pipeline of professionals advancing Japanese studies librarianship worldwide.”

A personal mission

For Nakamura, who came to librarianship after careers in finance and film/TV, the program is also personal. During his own career transition, he struggled to find relevant internship opportunities, which motivated him to create similar opportunities for others.

His mentor at Columbia University offered advice that still guides him. “First you land the position. Then from day one, you should start training the new generation who will replace you in the future. Otherwise, your position will vanish after you leave.”

The first appointment will begin in July 2026, with the job posting expected in early 2026. Applicants must hold an American Library Association-accredited master’s degree in library sciences or equivalent, demonstrate strong communication skills in Japanese and English, and show a career focus in Japanese or Asian studies librarianship. For more information, email Mitsu Nakamura at japancol@hawaii.edu.

Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki paid a special visit to the University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz�’s on August 31, during his trip to Honolulu for the 43rd Annual Okinawan Festival and the 125th anniversary of Okinawans in �鶹��ý.

Accompanied by his wife, Chieko, and an entourage, the governor toured exhibits throughout the library and viewed rare materials from the Hawaiian Pacific, Maps, Hawley and �鶹��ý Karate Museum Collections. He expressed particular interest in the karate holdings, reflecting the deep cultural ties between Okinawa and �鶹��ý.

“It was a great honor to welcome Gov. Tamaki, his wife and the delegation from Okinawa to Hamilton Library to see our Okinawan collection,” said University Librarian Clem Guthro. “Our connection to the local Okinawan community and to Okinawa is long standing and represents our rich shared history. We will continue to build on our shared collaboration and know that our collection will help build understanding of Okinawan history and culture here, in Okinawa, and with the global diaspora.”

Tamaki thanked Guthro and presented him with a traditional Ryukyuan woven textile and 2026 Okinawan calendars. In return, Guthro gifted the governor an executive notebook embossed with the Hamilton Library logo.

The visit was coordinated by Okinawan studies librarian, Lynette Teruya, who prepared a presentation in Japanese.

“I am grateful to the Okinawa Prefectural Government for arranging to have Gov. Tamaki and some of the other officials come to visit our library,” said Teruya. “We got to share some of the most valued treasures in the Okinawan collections at Hamilton Library, and they were genuinely interested in our collections.”

A wooden model of a Kabuki theatre scene, gifted to the University of �鶹��ý in 1939 by Japan’s Shochiku Company, is now on permanent display at UH ����ԴDz�’s . The intricate model, depicting a scene from Kanadehon Chushingura, was celebrated at a reception on August 18, following its restoration.

The gift was originally secured by Gregg Sinclair, founding director of UH’s Oriental Institute, to promote cultural awareness. Built by Kabuki-za Theatre master carpenter Genjiro Hasegawa under the direction of Shochiku founder Takejiro Otani, the model represents a long-standing bond between UH and Japan.

“This beautiful model was made and gifted to us, along with a Kabuki actor doll, with the promise of perpetual display on campus in summer 1939,” said Mitsutaka Nakamura, Japan studies librarian at Hamilton Library. “This combination of the Kabuki theater model, case and stand symbolizes our enduring bond between Shochiku and UH, and Japan and �鶹��ý as well.”

The model has been displayed and stored in various places over the years, but time took its toll. With support from UH’s Department of Theatre and Dance, artist Meg Hanna-Tominaga restored the piece, which now sits on a handcrafted monkey pod stand and is protected by an acrylic case.

Related UH News story: Rare kabuki master class hits �鶹��ý

Shochiku honorary chair Nobuyoshi Otani praised UH for keeping its promise of preservation: “We hope that you will continue to protect the display as a testament to the cultural exchange fostered by our predecessors.”

Kabuki master Ichikawa Monnosuke VIII also joined the celebration, praising UH students’ dedication during a Kabuki workshop and showcase.

“For the next 100, 200, 300 years, I hope that Kabuki here at the University of �鶹��ý will continue,” he said. “Let’s keep doing this!”

For more than half a century, Patricia Polansky has been the heart of the Hamilton Library’s Russia Collection at the University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz�. On August 13, the university honored its longest-serving librarian with the Nina D.P. Horio Excellence in Librarianship Award, a rare distinction presented only seven times in its 32-year history.

“I don’t feel quite worthy to have this award, but I’m pleased and happy,” Polansky said.

Widely regarded as the most well-known Russian bibliographer in North America, Polansky has shaped a world-renowned collection focusing on the Asian half of Russia and its connections to �鶹��ý. Her work has influenced generations of Russian studies scholars worldwide and earned her the Medal of Pushkin from the Russian Federation in 2011, followed by “Pat Polansky Day” proclaimed by Gov. Neil Abercrombie in 2012.

“She has, without a doubt, influenced scores of students, faculty and scholars from around the world,” said University Librarian Clem Guthro. “It is certainly a fitting honor for Hamilton’s longest-serving librarian.”

A career shaped by history

Starting during the Cold War, Polansky faced significant challenges in acquiring Russian materials. In 1977, she became the first U.S. librarian to receive an International Relations Exchanges Board travel grant, identifying thousands of Russia-related items connected to �鶹��ý and the Pacific. After the Soviet Union’s collapse in 1991, she adapted her strategies to take advantage of new access to the Russian Far East and Siberia.

Together with historian Amir Khisamutdinov, who described Hamilton Library’s Russia Collection as “priceless,” Polansky co-published a four-volume catalog of the collection with the Russian National Library in Moscow.

Polansky, with no plans to retire, remains committed to expanding the Russia Collection, her life’s work and a priceless resource for scholars worldwide.