You may recall that the ILA/ACRL gives out a scholarship for conference attendance each year to one new ACRL member. Here is an excerpt from a thank you letter from this year's scholarship winner, Mary Francis:

I would like to thank the awards committee and the entire Iowa Chapter of ACRL for offering and choosing me to receive the scholarship. This conference was a great opportunity to hear about new ideas and programs to see if they can be applied to individual libraries. Also for individuals like me, who are new to the field, conferences are a great way to meet new people and become a part of the larger world of librarianship. There is an excitement and energy to the conference as attendees meet and catch up with each other. It is a great atmosphere in which to belong.

My regret in attending this conference is the fact that I could not attend all of the sessions I would have liked. I was able to attend a wide variety of sessions covering the expanse of my interests. From Dottie Persson and Carlette Washington-Hoagland, I learned about how librarians can become active at their institutions through interdisciplinary research. Phil Jones and Karla Erickson showed how a successful relationship between librarians and faculty can create exciting learning environments. Finally, I heard how library departments can work together creating new work flows from Amy Paulus, who discussed the connection between interlibrary loan and acquisitions.

I had a wonderful experience attending the conference and highly recommend others to take the time to attend.

Thank you again.
Mary Francis