Deeper Than Gold

A look at some of the many Native American tribes and individuals of the Sierra foothills, including the Central Sierra Miwuk of Tuolumne County.

Deeper than Gold: A Guide to Indian Life in the Sierra Foothills
by Brian Bibby, photos by Dugan Aguilar
Find it in the library at call number E78 .C15B475 2005

The Wind Doesn't Need a Passport

A collection of stories about the people, places and challenges of the border region between the United States and Mexico.

The Wind Doesn't Need a Passport: Stories fromt he U.S.-Mexico Borderlands
by Tyche Hendricks
Find it in the library at call number HN79 .A165H46 2010

California Natural History Guides

Introductory guides to myriad natural history topics that relate to California, including field guides on everything from birds to geology and topic guides ranging from fire to Native Californians.

California Natural History Guides
published by the University of California Press
These guides are shelved throughout the library according to their relevant subject. Find call numbers by searching the online catalog.

A Paradise Built in Hell

Using examples from the 1906 San Francisco earthquake up to September 11 and Hurricane Katrina, this book investigates the positive side of humanity and communities that grow out of devastation.

A Paradise Built in Hell: The Extraordinary Communities that Arise in Disaster
by Rebecca Solnit
Find it in the Library at call number HV553 .S59 2009

River Basins of the American West

A collection of stories about the great watersheds of the Western United States. These explorations of water issues throughout the region were originally published in High Country News.

River basins of the American West: A High COuntry News Reader
edited by Char Miller
Find it in the Library at call number GB991 .W3R58 2009

Hope for the Hopeless

The 2008 album by folk singer-songwriter and Stanislaus County native Brett Dennen. We also have his 2006 album So Much More.

Hope for the Hopeless
by Brett Dennen
Find it in our Audio Collection at call number MPF D428 .H66 2008

Golden Roots of the Mother Lode

A publication of the Tuolumne County Genealogical Society that uses each issue to explore a different topic related to local history and genealogy.

Golden Roots of the Mother Lode
Find all issues Golden Roots of the Mother Lode along the back wall of the of the Library in alphabetical order.

Gloryland

A novel following the life of Elijah Yancy, an African-American born in South Carolina on Emancipation Day who ends up stationed in Yosemite National Park while serving in the army.

Gloryland
by Shelton Johnson
Find it in the Library at call number PS3610 .O383 G56 2009

100 Views of the Golden Gate

Capturing the iconic bridge and its beautiful surroundings in all sorts of weather and lighting.

100 Views of the Golden Gate
by Harold Davis
Find it in the Library at call number TG25 .S225D38 2008

Tending the Wild

Exploring the land management practices of native Californians and how we might apply such techniques in our modern society.

Tending the Wild
by M. Kat Anderson
Find it in the Library at call number E78 .C15A676 2006

Oral History Series

Listen to interviews of Mother Lode residents about life in the region over the last 130 years. Some interviews include transcripts and supporting documents that are also available online.

Columbia College Library Oral History Series
Visit the Oral History Series search engine via the Library's homepage or directly through this link: http://gocolumbia.edu/library/ohs/

The Geography of Home

A collection of poetry about California and its varied geography.

The Geography of Home
edited by Christopher Buckley and Gary Young
Find it in the Library at call number PS571 .C2G46 1999

Caught Inside

An account of a year spent surfing in California interspersed with tidbits about everything from wave dynamics to surfboard design.

Caught Inside: A Surfer's Year on the California Coast
by Daniel Duane
Find it in the Library at call number GV840 .S8D83 1997

They Shoot Horses, Don't They?

Set in Southern California, Jane Fonda stars in this film adaptation of Noir writer Horace McCoy's novel of the same title.

They Shoot Horses, Don't They?
directed by Sydney Pollack
Find it in our Video Collection at call number PN1995.9 .D7T53 1969

California Agriculture

A journal of the University of California that includes original research, news and information related to agricultural topics of interest to Californians.

California Agriculture
Find the current issue of California Agriculture in the Reading Area of the Library. Back issues of all our magazines are located along the back wall of the Library in alphabetical order and can be checked out for one week. Electronic access of California Agriculture is available via the Full-text and Print Magazines link on our homepage.

Woodcarving Collection

The Library's recently published Columbia College Woodcarving Collection features professional photographs of the eight beautiful carvings in our collection along with the excerpts they're based on and history about the carvers themselves. Check it out today and explore this fascinating collection.

Columbia College Woodcarving Collection: Bret Harte Stories & Others
edited by Brian Greene
Find it in the Library at call number NK9712 .C64 2009

Special Election

Californians go to the polls again on May 19th to vote on six propositions aimed at helping to resolve the State's budget crisis. Here are two sources to help you make an informed decision when you vote.

First, KQED's California Report (heard on NPR) is broadcasting special coverage of each proposition on the ballot. Second, The League of Women Voters of California has put together its traditional nonpartisan guide to each measure.

These resources are freely available on the Internet.

Mining California

An ecological history of the devastation caused by Gold Rush era mining techniques and the mercury they left in their wake.

Mining California: An Ecological History
by Andrew Isenberg
Find it in the Library at call number GE155 .C2I84 2006

The Donner Party

Imagine it's 1846 and you party of pioneers gets stuck in endless winter storms crossing the Sierra. Not fun. This documentary by Ken Burns' brother Ric brings the infamous events of that terribly tragedy to life.

The Donner Party
by Ric Burns
Find it in our Video collection at call number F868 .N5D66 2004

Election Education II

California's 12 propositions involve wide-ranging issues, from high speed trains and farm animals to abortion and gay marriage. Want to learn more?

Check out Capital Public Radio's special reports on each proposition (see list, below). Other useful resources include The League of Women Voters non-partisan Easy Voters Guide and the California Secretary of State's Quick Reference Guide, which includes pro and con arguments for each initiative. Ballotpedia.org is a wiki (meaning anyone can add and edit content) focusing on ballot initiatives, including California's 2008 propositions.

Capital Public Radio's Special Reports on the 12 California Propositions:

Prop. 1A: High Speed Rail

Prop. 2: Treatment of Farm Animals

Prop. 3: Children's Hospital Bonds

Prop. 4: Parental Notification for Teenage Abortion

Prop. 5: Nonviolent Drug Offenses (Note: this report also discusses Prop 6.)

Prop. 6: Police and Law Enforcement Funding (Note: this report also discusses Prop 5.)

Prop 7: Renewable Energy Generation (Note: this report also discusses Prop 10.)

Prop 8: Same Sex Marriage

Prop 9: Victims' Rights

Prop. 10: Alternative Fuel Vehicles and Renewable Energy (Note: this report also discusses Prop. 7.)

Prop 11: Redistricting

Prop 12: Veterans' Bond Act of 2008