University Presses

Penn State University Press

     In the neighbouring state across the lake, Penn State has a press and one of the series they publish is called, fittingly enough, "Keystone Books".  There are over 50 different series published ranging, alphabetically, from Africana Religions to World Christianity.  There are books about Chinese thinkers (Collection of Critical Biographies of Chinese Thinkers) and some about one Scottish thinker (Edinburgh Edition of Thomas Reid). The usual serious subjects are covered (e.g. Refiguring Modernism; Re-Reading the Canon) and one on humor is planned (Humor in America).  Keystone Books is chosen here because they" are intended to serve the citizens of Pennsylvania. They are accessible, well-researched explorations into the history, culture, society, and environment of the Keystone State as part of the Middle Atlantic region."  This is, I think, a laudable goal.

Keystone Books

     Rallying the scholars to produce some products for the civilians is not a bad idea. I am not sure how many other university presses may have done this, but I will let you know in future posts on the subject of university publishing if any are found.  You may have noticed that many scholarly books are now unreadable, even if they are covering subjects which we have lived (modern history) or experienced (popular culture).  They are also often only about subjects of concern to those within the academy and, even more frequently, of interest only to those sequestered in the basements of a few humanities departments.  Publishing a few 'practical' books without mentioning once the word 'praxis' should to nothing to reduce the skills of those who produce them and deans should be encouraged to reward such efforts.

     Selected below are some Keystone Books.  Given that Pennsylvania is close by, even the state and regional ones may be of interest and a couple will be useful if you plan to visit.  Many other subjects are covered and some Keystone Books will be found up at Western, should you wish to have a look. At list is provided at the end.

Pennsylvania: A History of the Commonwealth, Edited by Randall M. Miller and William A. Pencak

“From Quaker rule to the devastating decline of the steel industry, Pennsylvania: A History of the Commonwealth chronicles political, cultural, and economic developments that have shaped the Keystone State. Edited by Saint Joseph’s University history professor Randall M. Miller and William Pencak, a historian at Pennsylvania State University, this lucid and comprehensive history includes contributions from archivists, historians and other academics on such subjects as the state’s role in the Underground Railroad and the folklore of the Pennsylvania Dutch. The first part of the handsomely illustrated volume is a straightforward chronological history, while the second is divided into thematic chapters on such subjects as the geography, archaeology and literature of the state.” —Publishers Weekly

Pennsylvania Overlooks: A Guide for Sightseers and Outdoor People, Art Michaels

“With descriptions of nearly 50 impressive overlooks in the Keystone State, this book is an invaluable guide for planning spring getaways. For a romantic weekend trip for two, or a quick day trip with the whole family, the locations detailed in Pennsylvania Overlooks yield fantastic opportunities to get out of the house and take in some of the most remarkable sights Pennsylvania has to offer.” —Tribune

The Best Places You've Never Seen:Pennsylvania's Small Museums: A Traveler's Guide,

Therese Boyd

“Although the Philadelphia Museum of Art, with its famous Rocky staircase and Thomas Eakins masterpieces, is a must-see for most Keystone State visitors, the rest of the state’s museums are largely unknown to outsiders. Writer Boyd has visited small museums throughout Pennsylvania and found 42 she says are worth detouring for; she details these little gems in this handy guide organized by region. In the Poconos, visitors should check out the Houdini Tour and Show, where they can see the padlocks the great escapist used, or Yuengling Brewery, dubbed ‘America’s Oldest Brewery.’ While trucking through the Alleghenies, drivers might make a pit stop at Mr. Ed’s Elephant Museum, a nondescript wooden building that features a range of ‘elephantania,’ from plaster elephants to elephant salt and pepper shakers. And in an around Philly, there’s the Mummers Museum, which pays tribute to the city’s version of Mardi Gras; the Shoe Museum (displaying South African clogs and a size 18 shoe); and more. It’s a quirky travel guide that will undoubtedly be a godsend to anyone faced with a long drive on Route 80.” —Publishers Weekly

Gateway to the Majors: Williamsport and Minor League Baseball, James P. Quigel, and Louis E. Hunsinger

“Lou Hunsinger Jr. and Jim Quigel dig deep into baseball’s roots in North-central Pennsylvania and bring to life details of the events and individuals who have kept America’s National Pastime going strong into the 21st century.” —Jim Carpenter, Williamsport Sun-Gazette

American Shad in the Susquehanna River Basin: A Three-Hundred-Year History, Richard Gerstell

“Gerstell employs government reports, deed records, and newspaper accounts to reconstruct the size of the catches, methods employed by fishermen, and legislative attempts to check the inexorable decline of shad after 1830. Estate inventories yield lists of tools related to fishing, adding specificity and interest to this unpretentious but enlightening account of the once-abundant Susquehanna shad.”

Down the Susquehanna to the Chesapeake, Jack Brubaker

“Captures the charm—and violence—of the Chesapeake Bay’s only indispensable tributary. . . . Doubly welcome, for its own considerable virtues and for filling in so many of the blanks in our knowledge of a river that plays a far larger role in this part of the country than most of us realize. . . . Brubaker’s meticulous and loving description of the river should do much to heighten our appreciation of this secret treasure. . . . University-press publishing at its absolute best.” —Jonathan Yardley, Washington Post Book World

The Monongahela: River of Dreams, River of Sweat, Arthur Parker

"The Monongahela River in western Pennsylvania, one of three rivers that meet at the Golden Triangle in Pittsburgh, has a rich history associated with the westward expansion of the nation during the colonial era and with the development of America as an industrial power beginning in the nineteenth century."

Twilight of the Hemlocks and Beeches, Tim Palmer

“The noble beech and the mighty hemlock help define the forest I’ve spent my life wandering; that they are now facing ruin is one more sadness in the great sadness settling over the planet. One is enormously grateful to the author for capturing their meaning and beauty; we should do all that we can to keep them healthy.” —Bill McKibben, author of The End of Nature

 

At Work in Penn's Woods: The Civilian Conservation Corps in Pennsylvania, Joseph M. Speakman

“An excellent study of state history with national themes.” —P. D. Travis, Choice

The Civilian Conservation Corps was one of the most popular programs of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal. Over the nine years of the program, from 1933 to 1942, over two and one-half million unemployed young men found work on conservation projects across Depression-stricken America. “Roosevelt’s Tree Army,” as the CCC men were sometimes called, planted billions of trees, fought forest fires, did historic preservation work, and constructed recreational facilities in state and national parks. At Work in Penn’s Woods offers a rich and compelling portrait of Pennsylvania’s CCC program."

Keystone Books in the Western Libraries

Lair of the Lion : A History of Beaver Stadium , Lee Stout, Harry

“Football is an unmistakable part of the culture of Penn State, though the experience of a Nittany Lions home game—from the crowds and tailgates to the spectacle of the game itself—has changed significantly over the years. This richly illustrated and researched book tells the story of the structure that has evolved along with the university’s celebrated football program: the iconic Beaver Stadium.”

 

Buggy Town : An Era in American Transportation, Charles M.  Snyder.

“Horse and buggy transportation originated in New England and edged westward through Pennsylvania to center later in the Middle West. The buggy was a very light, high-wheeled carriage unique to the United States. This vehicle created a centralized trade concentrated in such towns as Mifflinburg, Pennsylvania, identified near and far as "The Buggy Town." This book is an illustrated story of "The Buggy Town," its shops, vehicles, and customs as they reflected an era of transportation in America.”

Holidays : Victorian Women Celebrate in Pennsylvania , Nada Gray.

“Women in rural Pennsylvania played an important role in family celebrations of Christmas and Easter during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. This book focuses on that role by examining their crafts related to the tree and the egg. Guided by the editors of ladies magazines, they strove for fashionable holiday decorations created from readily available materials.”

Rivers of Pennsylvania, Tim Palmer.

“An introduction to Pennsylvania's usable streams—45,000 miles of them—this book is designed to stimulate interest, enjoyment, and concern. Together with pleasurable reading, information is provided for the active or prospective canoeist, kayaker, boater, or rafter; the hiker or camper; the nature or history buff; the angler or conservationist.”

Other Summers : the Photographs of Horace Engle, Edward Leos ; Foreword by Alan Trachtenberg.

“This rare cache of early photographs, salvaged and printed by the author, reveals an authentic view of life in the late 19th century America with a photographic vision that was fifty years ahead of its time. An unposed, candid record of people and activities in rural areas and towns of Pennsylvania and Virginia in the 1880's, these images have a quality of unstrained honesty and freshness that is in marked contrast to the stilted, formal portraits of the period.”

 A Pennsylvania Album : Picture Postcards, 1900-1930, George Miller.

“The 270 photographs reproduced in this volume constitute a unique view of everyday life in each of Pennsylvania's counties during the period from 1900 until 1930. Taken from picture postcards, each photograph is accompanied by a short, informative caption.”

Seaweeds : A Color-coded, Illustrated Guide to Common Marine Plants of the East Coast of the United States, C. J. Hillson.

“Automobiles, interstate highways, shorter work weeks, longer vacations, and higher salaries have all combined to bring the seashore closer to man. Where once a visit to the shore was only a dream for many, or a once-in-a-lifetime trip for others, the varied oceanic life that has held man's interest for centuries is now just beyond the garage doors of the American family. The same curiosity that stirs the beach combing instincts of coastal dwellers is possessed by inlanders, and now a midwesterner too can do something about that curiosity.”

Sources: 
Penn State University Press

Post Script

    It is interesting that the Penn State University Press is under the auspices of the University Libraries. Here is the full mission statement taken from the Strategic Plan.
1. Mission
"The Pennsylvania State University Press, reporting to the Dean of University Libraries and Scholarly Communications, publishes original scholarly, peer-reviewed research (books, journals, and other forms of research) in the arts, humanities, and social sciences for worldwide scholarly   communities. The Press disseminates this research to international libraries, institutions, and scholars at affordable prices and at the highest quality. The Press also serves the citizens of Pennsylvania by publishing on topics related to the history, culture, literature, society, politics, and future of Pennsylvania and the mid-Atlantic region."

  It is also interesting that some of the titles are 'unlocked' (i.e. open access).