04/12/2021
Reminder: Applications for the Conable Scholarship due April 15!
Freedom to Read Foundation to Offer an ALA Conference Scholarship through the Gordon M. Conable Fund
CHICAGO — Are you interested in Intellectual Freedom? Would you like to attend the American Library Association’s (ALA) Annual Conference in June and learn how the Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF) and other groups in ALA are working to protect access to information? Applications are now open for the 2021 Gordon M. Conable Conference Scholarship, sponsored by FTRF. The Scholarship provides funding for two recipients who are an LIS student or recent graduate to attend the ALA virtual annual conference June 23-29, 2021.
The goal of the Gordon M. Conable Conference Scholarship is to advance two principles that Conable held dear: intellectual freedom and mentorship.
The scholarship includes conference registration and a one-year FTRF membership. In return, the recipient will be expected to attend FTRF and other intellectual freedom meetings and events at the conference, consult with a mentor/board member, and provide a report about their experiences.
The deadline for submitting an application for the 2021 Conable Conference Scholarship is April 15, 2021; the award will be announced by April 23, 2021.
Who is eligible: Students currently enrolled in an ALA-accredited library and information studies degree program or an AASL-recognized master’s program in school librarianship and new professionals (those who are three or fewer years removed from receiving a library school degree) are eligible to receive the Conable Conference Scholarship. Those interested must submit an application that includes two references and an essay detailing their interest in intellectual freedom issues. Applicants are also required to attach a résumé. If the recipient has already registered for ALA’s Annual Conference, he or she will have the conference fee refunded.
To apply for the Conable Conference Scholarship, visit https://www.ftrf.org/page/Conable_Scholarship. For more information, please contact FTRF at [email protected].
The Freedom to Read Foundation was established in 1969 as a First Amendment legal defense organization affiliated with the American Library Association.