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CHICAGO — are now open for the 2015 , sponsored by the Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF). The Conable Conference Scholarship provides funding for an LIS student or recent graduate to attend the ¾«¶«´«Ã½'s Annual Conference. The will be held June 25-30 in San Francisco.

The goal of the Gordon M. Conable Conference Scholarship is to advance two principles that Conable held dear: intellectual freedom and mentorship.

The scholarship provides for conference registration, transportation and housing for six nights, along with a $300 stipend for meals and other expenses. 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 recipient also will receive a one-year FTRF membership and will be invited, although not required, to provide daily updates about his or her experience on the

The deadline for submitting an application for the 2015 Conable Conference Scholarship is Friday, April 3, 2015; the award will be announced by the first week in May.

Students currently enrolled in an or an 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 that includes two references and an essay detailing their interest in intellectual freedom issues. Applicants also are 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 . For more information, please contact Jonathan Kelley at (800) 545-2433, ext. 4226 or jokelley@ala.org.

About Gordon M. Conable: was a California librarian and intellectual freedom champion who served several terms as president of the Freedom to Read Foundation. He was executive vice president for public libraries at Library Systems and Services (LSSI) in Riverside, California, and was responsible for management and performance ofLSSI’s public library contracts, including the 30-branch Riverside County, California, system. He also served as director of the Monroe County (Michigan) Library System from 1988–1998. During his tenure there, he withstood an intense controversy over Madonna's book "Sex.” Before that he was associate director of the Fort Vancouver Regional Library in Washington. For his efforts, Conable received the Freedom to Read Foundation and ALA's for "intellectual freedom fighters.” In 1994 he was the first librarian recognized as Michigan’s Public Administrator of the Year.

Following his unexpected death in 2005, his wife and FTRF created the , which provides funding for the Conable Scholarship. To date, seven Conable Scholarships have been granted. You can or by contacting FTRF at (800) 545-2433, ext. 4226 or at ftrf@ala.org.