First Amendment Day: Celebrate with the Kathrine R. Everett Law Library

September 25^th was First Amendment Day! Observed during National Banned Books Week, First Amendment Day is meant to commemorate the First Amendment and its promise of the freedoms of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition. September 25th marks the day the First Federal Congress of the United States proposed the Bill of Rights to the state legislatures.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is celebrating its twelfth First Amendment Day on September 29^th. The UNC Center for Media Law and Policy, headed by Co-Directors David Ardia and Amanda Reid, is presenting a campus-wide, daylong event designed to both celebrate the First Amendment and explore its role in the lives of Carolina students. The program will allow students and other members of the university community to “discuss the public university’s special role as a marketplace of ideas and the need to be tolerant when others exercise their rights.”

If you’re interested in learning more about the First Amendment, the Kathrine R. Everett Law Library is here to help! Try searching the law library catalog to learn more about the First Amendment. You can restrict the search to focus on First Amendment books, government publications, and even a musical recording. From study guides to casebooks and all the handbooks in between, the library has plenty of background materials to help you understand the purpose and application of the First Amendment.

There are also plenty of additional resources available to learn more. For a history of the First Amendment, take a look at the First Amendment Annotated. Available on Congress.gov, the First Amendment Annotated presents the historical background of the Amendment and provides scholarly commentary with citations to interpretive Supreme Court cases.

The Congressional Research Service has also tackled numerous topics related to the First Amendment including: Online Political Advertising, Foreign Government-Sponsored Broadcast Programming, and Social Media for congressional committees and Members of Congress.  

The National Constitution Center has also created interactive interpretations of First Amendment clauses as well as relevant media. The site also includes media related to the First Amendment including podcasts, videos, and blog posts.

If you have any questions or need any help researching the First Amendment, please contact the law library at the Reference Desk, by email at lawref@unc.edu, by phone at 919-962-1194, or by chat at https://library.law.unc.edu (Click “Questions”). Happy First Amendment Day!