Two centuries ago, on June 30, 1825, former President James Madison, considered to be the “Father of the U.S. Constitution,” wrote to George Thomson that, “The advancement and diffusion of knowledge is the only guardian of true liberty.” 

Former President Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence, asserted that “It is every Americans’ right and obligation to read and interpret the Constitution for [themselves].”

It is with those ideals in mind that Tompkins County Public Library, in partnership with the Tompkins County Historian, Tompkins County Historical Commission and the Greater Ithaca Activities Center will host a non-partisan Community Reading of the U.S. Constitution. The Community Reading will be held outside the entrance to the Library at 101 East Green Street in Ithaca starting at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 14.

The Community Reading is a chance to gather and reflect on the rule of law during a time of urgency, upheaval and crisis.

Because this is a non-partisan event, those in attendance should leave any posters, signs, flags or other political paraphernalia off-site.

Interim Library Director Susan Currie, Ithaca Mayor Robert Cantelmo, Tompkins County Legislature Chair Dan Klein and Interim Tompkins County Historian Carol Kammen are among those scheduled to take part.

Those attending are invited to step to the podium to take a turn reading a portion of the Constitution and its Amendments. Volunteers will be available to take pictures of those speaking, using the speakers’ own cameras or phones, upon request. There will be a scroll to sign for those who wish to mark their presence. Free pocket Constitutions will also be available.

For those interested in learning more about the Constitution and U.S. Government, Harvard University is offering the option to audit select courses for free this summer. New sessions begin June 25.

• American Government: Constitutional Foundations
• U.S. Public Policy: Social, Economic, and Foreign Policies
• Citizen Politics in America: Public Opinion, Elections, Interest Groups, and the Media
• U.S. Political Institutions: Congress, Presidency, Courts, and Bureaucracy
• Justice  *New session begins August 20

“The cause of freedom greatly depends on the use we make of the singular opportunities we enjoy of governing ourselves wisely.”
— Jon Jay, 1888 Address to the People of New York, which urged ratification of the Constitution.