Special Collection: Joseph L. Reed

Joseph L. Reed was an avid reader. Born in Cordova, Alaska (June 1933), he progressed through school quickly. At the early age of 22, he graduated with a Bachelor in Science degree in Mechanical Engineering. From there, he enrolled in the United States Air Force (USAF) and served in multiple branches. Reed also taught Sunday school as a high school student and as an adult.

During his time in the armed forces, he managed to carefully pack and move his growing personal library each time he was relocated. Doing so was a testament to his ability to organize and plan. This ability served him well in his career and travels.

Reed was a born scholar, keeping the majority of his school workbooks in case he needed them for reference. Reed was promoted often, achieving the position of Chief of Airfield Management at Florida's MacDill Airforce Base in 1977. He held the position until his retirement in 1981, ending a career that spanned almost three decades. At the time of his retirement, he was a Lieutenant Colonel.

Reed travelled and continued collecting books into his golden years. He travelled extensively by air and sea, enjoying days of fishing and sight-seeing. To complement his love of travel, Reed became president of the Good Sam RV Club and was a frequent lecturer for them.

In 2018, Reed began to donate many of the items in his personal library to the CF Citrus Campus Library. Items include books about fishing, camping, nature, science fiction, and fantasy. Many of the authors in the collection are part of the Golden Age of SciFi (mid-1930s - mid-1960s).

The collection that bears his name currently contains over 700 books, plus additional materials. Over 250 books are dedicated to the subject of Fishing, and an additional 500 are Science Fiction/Fantasy books.