In 2002, the Sierra College Press was formed to publish Standing Guard: Telling our Stories as part of the Standing Guard Project’s examination of Japanese-American Internment during World War II. Subsequently, the Press produced the Sierra Foothills Nature Guide, a publication of the Sierra College Science Club, in 2004.
Building upon that foundation, the Sierra College Press is undergoing a transformation and expanding its role and function to provide a wide-ranging academic press and information outlet.
The Sierra College Press is the first complete academic press operated by a community college in the United States.
Our Mission
The mission of the Sierra College Press is to inform and inspire scholars, students, and general readers by disseminating ideas, knowledge, and academic scholarship of value concerning the Sierra Nevada region. The Sierra College Press endeavors to reach beyond the library, laboratory, and classroom to promote and examine this unique geography.
Books
As the first trade publication of the new Sierra College Press, an anthology on the Sierra Nevada has been produced. The anthology is entitled The Illuminated Landscape: A Sierra Nevada Anthology. It will be released in April 2010. It will be co-published by Heyday Books and Santa Clara University. This sweeping investigation of the Range of Light includes literary descriptions of the Sierra Nevada from the earliest native cultures to the present. The selections include contemporary accounts and descriptions from those who have recently visited and been inspired by the Sierra experience. And, in the final chapter, there are essays and a poem written especially for the anthology.
Also, in 2010, the Sierra College Press will co-publish a book written by Foothill College instructor Scott Lankford entitled Tahoe Beneath the Surface, an examination of fascinating historical vignettes of Lake Tahoe. This book will be co-published by Heyday Books.
Electronic Journals
The Sierra College Press also publishes two electronic journals. These are produced twice annually – once in the Fall Semester, and once in the Spring Semester. The journals are:
- Snowy Range Reflections: The Journal of Sierra Nevada History and Biography, which examines the fascinating history and characters of what John Muir called “The Range of Light.”
- The Journal of the Sierra College Natural History Museum, which provides information about the college’s extraordinary museum and the natural history of our region and the world.
Sustainability Booklet
The Sierra College Press has recently published Everyday Choices: 365 Ways You Can Help Build a Sustainable Future. This booklet offers 365 suggestions concerning sustainable actions at home, at school, in the office, on the construction site, and many other locations.
Posters
The Sierra College Press also publishes posters. These posters include:
- California Tribal areas – A map of California Native American cultural zones
- In Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of RipRap – a poster commemorating the groundbreaking poetry of Gary Snyder, a Pulitzer Prize recipient and resident of our college district
- Native American Basketry – a poster celebrating the extraordinary baskets produced by California and Nevada Native Americans