Joe's Bookcase

Joe's Bookcase We are the non profit arm of Too Fond Of Books. Joe’s Bookcase is more than a shelf—it’s a promise. But Joe believed in the power of knowledge.

The mission of Joe’s Bookcase is to get books into the hands of people who need them most, encouraging a lifelong love of reading. A promise that stories will find their way into the hands of every soul who dreams a little bigger after turning the page. It began with Joe—a hard-working man who had little and grew up with even less. Jim Reese, Joe's son, recalls two portraits in his home: one of Je

sus, and one of FDR. The only book to be found was the Bible. He worked long hours and saved what he could, until one day he was able to buy his son, Jim, a full set of encyclopedias. He was so proud of those books that he built a bookcase with his own hands to protect them. That bookcase is now a symbol of something greater. Rooted in the belief that books belong to everyone, Joe’s Bookcase travels where stories are scarce and wonder is waiting. From rural schoolyards and libraries, to foster homes and community buildings, to the Cherokee County Department of Corrections, it fills empty shelves with magic—pages full of dragons and dreamers, heroes and hope. Joe's Bookcase is more than a non profit. It’s a gentle rebellion against silence and scarcity, where the simple act of giving a book becomes a gift of possibility. Since we first started in October of 2023, Joe's Bookcase has given away over $55,000 in books to the people of North East Oklahoma. And we are just getting started. Joe’s Bookcase’s mission is to transform our local book desert into an oasis for reading culture by increasing the accessibility of books through community collaboration, providing rural schools with affordable book fairs, and establishing a gathering place for the arts. Because at Joe’s Bookcase, we believe EVERYONE deserves the chance to get lost in a story. Maybe, just maybe, they will find themselves along the way.

We are honored to be a returning partner of such a cool project at Grand View School! A very special thank you for the...
05/20/2025

We are honored to be a returning partner of such a cool project at Grand View School! A very special thank you for the invite from Dena Coleman.

When you support Joe's Bookcase , these are the projects you’re supporting in your community. We appreciate each and every one of you.

Happy Sunday Evening Folks! From the bottom of our hearts, thank you to everyone who made Bands For Books such a special...
04/28/2025

Happy Sunday Evening Folks!

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you to everyone who made Bands For Books such a special day.

We are so grateful to our generous sponsors: Echota Behavioral Health, Bank Tahlequah, Edna Kimble, Northeastern Health System, and Athletics. You made this event possible!

To the incredible artists — Rc Edwards, Lance Roark and their all-star Bluegrass Breakfast for Dinner band, John Fullbright, and Teen & the Penny Pickers— thank you for sharing your music and your hearts with us.

Special thanks and lots of love to Rc Edwards for generously donating all of his merch proceeds back to Joe’s Bookcase.

Thank you to Hannah Roark and Karen Tye for setting up and running the merch table, and to Koehn for making everything sound amazing throughout the day.

An extra special thanks to Roots Church Tahlequah, OK for welcoming us into the Tahlequah Dream Theater at the last minute. We are incredibly blessed and grateful for your generosity and support.

And thank you to the 200+ people who showed up, sang along, and stood up for the power of reading, book accessibility, independent bookstores, and independent music. Because of your support:
• We raised over $6,500 for Joe’s Bookcase — with over $4,300 is going directly toward bringing books to communities who need them most.
• We also collected over 500 donated books throughout the week, helping us fill even more shelves and hearts!

A very special thanks goes to Erica Edwards, whose vision, heart, and hard work made Bands For Books a reality. This event was Erica’s brainchild, and none of it would have come to fruition without her incredible support. She absolutely knocked it out of the park!

If you’d like to continue supporting Joe’s Bookcase, donations are still open at Givebutter.com/joesbookcase. Or simply stop in Too Fond Of Books or Still Fond and More and ask how you can help.

We have many exciting events planned for the year ahead — but one thing’s for sure:

Bands For Books will be back next year on Independent Bookstore Day!

Thank you all for being a part of something truly special. My heart is so full, and my faith in our community is replenished.

— Danny Gold

Joe’s Bookcase is more than a shelf—it’s a promise.A promise that stories will find their way into the hands of every so...
04/20/2025

Joe’s Bookcase is more than a shelf—it’s a promise.
A promise that stories will find their way into the hands of every soul who dreams a little bigger after turning the page.

It began with Joe—a hard-working man who had little and grew up with even less. Jim Reese, Joe's son, recalls two portraits in his home: one of Jesus, and one of FDR. The only book to be found was the Bible.

But Joe believed in the power of knowledge. He worked long hours and saved what he could, until one day he was able to buy his son, Jim, a full set of encyclopedias. He was so proud of those books that he built a bookcase with his own hands to protect them.

That bookcase is now a symbol of something greater.

Rooted in the belief that books belong to everyone, Joe’s Bookcase travels where stories are scarce and wonder is waiting. From rural schoolyards and libraries, to foster homes and community buildings, to the Cherokee County Department of Corrections, it fills empty shelves with magic—pages full of dragons and dreamers, heroes and hope.

Joe's Bookcase is more than a non profit. It’s a gentle rebellion against silence and scarcity, where the simple act of giving a book becomes a gift of possibility.

Since we first started in October of 2023, Joe's Bookcase has given away over $55,000 in books to the people of North East Oklahoma. And we are just getting started.

Joe’s Bookcase’s mission is to transform our local book desert into an oasis for reading culture by increasing the accessibility of books through community collaboration, providing rural schools with affordable book fairs, and establishing a gathering place for the arts.

Because at Joe’s Bookcase, we believe EVERYONE deserves the chance to get lost in a story. Maybe, just maybe, they will find themselves along the way.

Address

162 N Muskogee Avenue
Tahlequah, OK
74464

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