"Congress Shall Make No Law Respecting an Establishment of
Religion, or Prohibiting the Free Exercise Thereof; or Abridging
the Freedom of Speech, or of the Press; or the Right of the
People Peaceably to Assemble, and To Petition the Government for
a Redress of Grievances.” The First Amendment to the U.S.
Constitution undergirds the work of the Freedom to Read
Foundation. The First Amendment guarantees all individuals the
right to express their ideas without governmental interference,
and to read and listen to the ideas of others. The Freedom to
Read Foundation was established to promote and defend this
right; to foster libraries as institutions wherein every
individual's First Amendment freedoms are fulfilled; and to
support the right of libraries to include in their collections
and make available any work which they may legally acquire.
Quotes about the First Amendment The First Amendment in History
Notable First Amendment Cases