ALIA National Conference 2026 program announced
The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) will hold its national conference on 11 to 14 May 2026 at Rosehill Gardens in Sydney.
ALIA has decided not to have an overarching theme for the conference “to allow for a wider, richer exploration of the issues, ideas, and innovations shaping our profession”.
The organisation said the conference will “spotlight the many ways the library and information sector continues to create positive impact – by connecting communities, supporting lifelong learning, advancing digital inclusion, fostering innovation, and more.”
There will be keynotes by journalist and author Stan Grant, University of Technology Sydney professor Larissa Behrendt, State Library of NSW state librarian Caroline Butler-Bowdon, and consultant Beth Wahler.
Author Andy Griffiths, Australian Children’s Laureate 2026–27, will run a session on the second day. Also on the second day, a session with Creative Australia and Writing Australia will present insights from 3 studies exploring how Australians engage with reading across their lifespans, featuring Wenona Byrne, Anna Burkey, Breanna Wright, Rebecca Mostyn and Catherine Davis.
Workshop topics include “advocating for your school library service”, “telling stories through non-traditional research outputs”, “libraries as digital champions for people with intellectual disability” and “libraries brain-building in the early years”. There will also be a number of pre-conference workshops.
A wide range of talks will cover a diverse range of subjects, including welcoming rainbow families into libraries, mainstream and Māori gender-diverse identities in children’s books, Indigenous knowledge and AI, print disability support, and the intersection of AI and inclusive design. A First Nations meetup will be held on the third day.
The exhibition hall will feature various library services and technology companies each lunchtime and will include a number of exhibitor talks each day, along with author signings on the second day. Poster sessions in the exhibition hall include “Collecting History at the PMI Victorian History Library” and “Fostering a Sense of Belonging and Wellbeing in the Library”.
There will be a film screening of the 2025 documentary The Librarians, which is about librarians fighting book bans in Texas. “Despite facing harassment, threats, and laws aimed at criminalising their work – the librarians’ rallying cry for freedom to read is a chilling cautionary tale,” said the announcement.
The conference dinner and awards night will include the Library Design Awards ceremony along with other awards to be confirmed.
“From keynotes and panels to workshops and lightning talks, this is one of our most robust conference programs yet – with something for every corner of the sector, across all roles, settings and career stages,” said ALIA. “Held every 2 years, this conference is a vibrant in-person forum for knowledge-sharing, networking and professional growth.”
The full program is available on the ALIA website.
Category: Conferences Local news
