Freedom to Read Foundation

The First Amendment protects our right to speak, read, learn, and challenge ideas. On Law Day, it’s a reminder that these freedoms aren’t guaranteed without vigilance—they must be protected, exercised, and made accessible to everyone.

Stories help readers see themselves, understand others, and feel less alone. For neurodiverse young people, that visibility can be life-changing. But when books are challenged or removed, those stories (and the voices behind them) are at risk of disappearing.

The freedom to read, protected by the First Amendment, ensures that all readers can access the stories that reflect their lives and expand their world.

Before bookmobiles, there were the horseback librarians.

In the 1930s, hundreds of women rode through the mountains of Kentucky delivering books to families who had no other access to libraries. The program, supported by the Works Progress Administration under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, helped bring literacy to remote communities during the Great Depression.

Rain or shine, they rode miles each week because they believed everyone deserved the chance to read.