Joe's Bookcase

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 Northeast 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.