991. How and Where to Read the Megillah

141:9 The best way to fulfill the mitzvah is to hear the reading of the Megillah in shul with a lot of other people as per Proverbs 12:28, "The glory of the King is in a multitude of people." At the very least, one should make sure to hear the Megillah with a minyan. If it not possible to read it with a minyan, then each person should read it from a kosher scroll, reciting the brachos beforehand. If only one of them knows how to read it, and the rest do not know, he should read it and the others should listen with the intention to fulfill their obligation, even though there is not a minyan. The bracha after reading the Megillah is only recited when there is a minyan. However, an individual may recite it if he leaves out G-d's Name and the mention of His Kingdom.

141:10 The universal practice is that the reader does not read from a rolled-up scroll. Rather, he spreads the Megillah out and folds it, page over page, like a letter. This is done because the Megillah is referred to as "the Purim letter" (Esther 9:39). However, congregants following along in their own Megillos need not do this.