For more than half a century, Patricia Polansky has been the heart of the Hamilton Library’s Russia Collection at the University of Hawaiʻi at 惭ā苍辞补. 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 Hawaiʻi. 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 Hawaiʻi 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.