Connecting, Innovating and Looking Ahead: Beamafilm at ALIA National 2026
News
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Beamafilm
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14/05/2026
Celebrating the people, ideas and innovation shaping the future of Australian libraries.
Beamafilm was delighted to join library and information professionals from across Australia and beyond at the ALIA National Conference 2026, held from 11–14 May at Rosehill Gardens in Sydney.
As the flagship conference of the Australian Library and Information Association, ALIA National brings together people from across public, academic, school, government and specialist libraries to exchange ideas, build partnerships and explore the changing role of libraries in their communities.
For Beamafilm, it was also a welcome opportunity to reconnect face-to-face with many of the librarians we work with every day — and hear directly about the opportunities and challenges shaping their services.
Libraries are changing - and so are their digital collections
ALIA took a different approach in 2026, choosing not to impose a single conference theme. Instead, the program opened the conversation to the breadth of issues transforming the profession, including digital inclusion, lifelong learning, innovation and community connection.
Those themes strongly resonate with what we're seeing at Beamafilm.
Libraries are no longer simply places where people access physical collections. They are increasingly important gateways to digital culture, education and entertainment — providing communities with access to resources they may otherwise be unable to afford or discover.
Streaming has an important role to play in that evolution.
Making digital content easier to discover
One of our continuing priorities is ensuring that a library's investment in digital content translates into genuine patron engagement.
That means going beyond simply making films available.
Beamafilm is increasingly focused on integrating streaming into the wider library ecosystem — making films easier to discover through library catalogues and discovery services, simplifying authentication and helping patrons move seamlessly from searching to discovering to watching.
Our integrations with library technology and discovery platforms are an important part of that strategy, helping Beamafilm sit alongside the books, journals and other digital resources libraries already provide.
The result is a more connected digital library experience — and greater visibility for the independent films, documentaries and diverse stories within the collection.
Stories that reflect our communities
ALIA National was also a timely reminder of the extraordinary diversity of the communities Australian libraries serve.
The conference program explored everything from digital inclusion and emerging technology to the stewardship of First Nations stories and the evolving role of libraries in an increasingly digital society.
For Beamafilm, diversity isn't simply about the number of titles in a catalogue. It's about ensuring audiences can discover stories and perspectives they might not encounter through mainstream streaming services.
Independent and world cinema, Australian stories, documentaries, First Nations filmmaking and culturally diverse voices all have an important place within the contemporary library collection.
The conversations matter
As valuable as the conference program was, some of our favourite moments at ALIA happened between sessions.
Meeting librarians, listening to feedback from existing Beamafilm partners and talking with technology providers and other organisations across the sector gives us a much clearer understanding of what libraries need from their digital services.
Those conversations continue to influence how we develop Beamafilm — from our catalogue and licensing models to discovery, accessibility, integrations and the tools we provide librarians to help their communities get more from the service.
A huge thank you to ALIA, the speakers, exhibitors and everyone who stopped by to talk with the Beamafilm team during National 2026.
We came away from Sydney inspired by the work happening across Australia's library sector — and excited about the opportunities ahead as libraries continue to redefine what access, discovery and community connection can look like in a digital world.
We look forward to continuing the conversation.
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