May 24, 2022

Azusa Tanaka, Japanese Studies Librarian, Honored with 2022 Distinguished Librarian Award

The Tateuchi East Asia Library and its staff are proud to celebrate the recognition of one of our own, Japanese Studies Librarian Azusa Tanaka, as recipient of the UW Libraries’ 2022 Distinguished Librarian Award. Tanaka serves faculty and students across the three UW campuses associated with the Japan Studies Program, centered in the Jackson School of International Studies, and the Japanese program of the Department of Asian Languages and Literature. She is responsible for reference services, library instruction, and the development of Japanese language collections in support of Japanese studies programs. 

Tanaka’s expertise and creativity have allowed her to make outstanding accomplishments in several domains. She has led innovative projects aimed at improving access to Japanese language collections, such as the documentation of Gaihozu (Japanese Imperial Army maps) collections and creation of finding aids for Japanese multi-volume sets. Described as a “superhero” to the Japan Studies program, she supports teaching, learning, and research by providing orientations, class instruction and research consultation for students, creating research guides, tracking down sources, and facilitating the Tadoku club for Japanese language students. 

Her own scholarship is international in scope, ranging from a Japanese language book about the roles of subject librarians in American academic libraries to assessment of the research needs of Asian studies faculty. 

Congratulations, Azusa!