First Amendment, Law, IMLS, & the Library

The Library ensures our First Amendment rights as ensured to U.S. citizens by the Bill of Rights.

The First Amendment:
"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."

However, libraries are not commanded by the U.S. Constitution.
Libraries exist because communities want libraries.
The Federal government provides some support for libraries, but the primary funds for library support come from state and local taxes.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 77.6% of public library income is acquired from local funds, 12.1% from state funds, and 0.9% from federal funds. The remaining income (over 9%) comes from other sources, including user fees, special events, and private fundraising efforts involving foundations, corporations, individual philanthropists, and "Friends of the Library" groups.
http://nces.ed.gov/

In 1956, Congress passed the Library Services Act, providing funds for the provision of library services to unserved areas, primarily rural communities. A 1964 amendment established the Library Services and Construction Act (LSCA) to extend monetary aid to all areas with inadequate library services, including urban areas. In 1996, the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) replaced the expiring LSCA. It focused federal funding efforts on information access through technology and information empowerment through special services, providing federal funds to state library agencies according to population.

LIBRARY SERVICES AND TECHNOLOGY ACT (LSTA)
To promote improvements in library services in all types of libraries in order to better serve the people of the United States.
To facilitate access to resources and in all types of libraries for the purpose of cultivating an educated and informed citizenry; and
To encourage resource sharing among all types of libraries for the purpose of achieving economical and efficient delivery of library services to the public.
The federal administration of the program was then shifted from the Department of Education to the Institute of Museum and Library Services, (IMLS.)
http://www.imls.gov/

The Institute of Museum and Library Services Mission Statement:

"The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The Institute's mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas. The Institute works at the national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation; and support professional development."

Through Grants to State Library Administrative Agencies, the largest of all of its grant programs, IMLS provides funding to state libraries to provide visually and physically impaired Americans with braille materials and recorded audiobooks.