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The Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF) has selected Amanda Vazquez as the recipient of the . The Conable Scholarship will cover Ms. Vazquez’s expenses to attend the 2019 ÂÜÀòÍøÊÓƵ (ALA) Annual Conference in Washington, D.C.

Ms. Vazquez is the library director of the Orange City Public Library in Orange City, Iowa. Her first-hand experience with freedom to read issues includes handling censorship and book challenges over LGBT materials in her library. Her commitment to intellectual freedom advocacy and ongoing education, as well as her passion for engaging in national conversations about free speech, deeply impressed the committee.

As part of the scholarship, the recipient will attend FTRF and other intellectual freedom meetings and programs at the conference, consult with mentors, and prepare a report about her experiences and thoughts following the conference.

The Conable Scholarship was created to advance two principles that Gordon Conable held dear: intellectual freedom and mentorship. Gordon Conable was a librarian and intellectual freedom champion in Michigan and California who served several terms as president of the Freedom to Read Foundation. His unexpected death in 2005 inspired his wife, Irene Conable, and the FTRF Board to create the Conable Fund, which provides funding for the Conable Scholarship.

To donate to the Conable Fund, please visit or call (312) 280-4223.