The IAHR Media Library was officially launched on November 15, 2004 and the first files were inserted on February 10, 2005. Many years have passed since the birth of the site and the total number of visitors is now very high. Initiatives regarding films of interest to Fluid Mechanics were previously employed by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers‑ASME, as described in the Journal of Fluids Engineering of June 1976, pp. 151-155. Of course, not having a website in 1976, the Fluid Mechanics Committee of the ASME compiled a film catalogue, realizing, however, that many of these films were not widely distributed amongst researchers. To help put these films into the hands of researchers, the creation of an Engineering Societies Library (ESL) was proposed in order to obtain, store and distribute these videos.

It is necessary to recognize the value of movies and pictures in improving the communication of research and the accessibility of results relevant to society. Research societies and journals should support the creation and diffusion of scientific movies.

The benefits of collaborations between papers’ authors and editors and the IAHR Media Library could be fundamental in terms of broader impacts and public outreach.

Nevertheless, the real success of technical and scientific products depends on its use by our community.