Freedom of Speech

From artistic expression to social history, discover scholarly works on free speech and the First Amendment, selected by RCL editors. Resources for College Libraries (RCL) features core titles for academic libraries, curated by Choice/ACRL subject specialists. In Syndetics Unbound, RCL Librarians recommend a selection of the 90,000+ titles available at rclweb.net.

Updated April 1, 2025
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Free speech : a history from Socrates to social media
Mchangama, Jacob
Paper Book
"The best history of free speech ever written and the best defense of free speech ever made." --P.J. O'Rourke Hailed as the "first freedom," free speech is the bedrock of democracy. But it is a challenging principle, subject to erosion in times of upheaval. Today, in...
The Fight for Free Speech: Ten Cases That Define Our First Amendment Freedoms
Rosenberg, Ian
Paper Book
A user's guide to understanding contemporary free speech issues in the United States Americans today are confronted by a barrage of questions relating to their free speech freedoms. What are libel laws, and do they need to be changed to stop the press from lying? Does Colin...
Social media, freedom of speech, and the future of our democracy
Bollinger, Lee C.
Paper Book
A broad explanation of the various dimensions of the problem of "bad" speech on the internet within the American context.One of the most fiercely debated issues of this era is what to do about "bad" speech--hate speech, disinformation and propaganda campaigns, and incitement of violence--on the...
Speak freely : why universities must defend free speech
Whittington, Keith E.
Paper Book
Why free speech is the lifeblood of colleges and universities Free speech is under attack at colleges and universities today, with critics on and off campus challenging the value of open inquiry and freewheeling intellectual debate. Too often speakers are shouted down,...
The case against free speech : the First Amendment, fascism, and the future of dissent
Moskowitz, P. E.
Paper Book
A hard-hitting expose that shines a light on the powerful conservative forces that have waged a multi-decade battle to hijack the meaning of free speech--and how we can reclaim it. There's a critical debate taking place over one of our most treasured rights: free speech...
Freedom for the thought that we hate : a biography of the First Amendment
Lewis, Anthony
Paper Book
More than any other people on earth, Americans are free to say and write what they think. The media can air the secrets of the White House, the boardroom, or the bedroom with little fear of punishment or penalty. The reason for this extraordinary freedom is not a superior culture of tolerance,...
The Free Speech Movement : reflections on Berkeley in the 1960s
Cohen, Robert
Paper Book
This is the authoritative and long-awaited volume on Berkeley's celebrated Free Speech Movement (FSM) of 1964. Drawing from the experiences of many movement veterans, this collection of scholarly articles and personal memoirs illuminates in fresh ways one of the most important events in the...

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