Research for everyone: Science ambassadors visit libraries

Science doesn’t just take place in laboratories or lecture theatres; it affects our daily lives – from health and the environment to work, technology and the way we live together. To ensure as many people as possible can participate, science ambassadors are now bringing their research to libraries across Austria for the first time.

This expands the successful ‘Science Ambassadors’ outreach programme – which has so far covered schools, kindergartens and after-school clubs – to include another important venue for education and interaction. From mid-April 2026, researchers will visit libraries for the first time. The aim is to make science a tangible experience for people of all ages and social backgrounds and to foster a lasting interest in research.

Libraries as places to engage with science

Today, libraries are more than just places where books are borrowed. They are public spaces for education, exchange and interaction. And thus ideal places to bring science to everyone.

For many years, researchers have been volunteering as science ambassadors at schools across Austria. They lead interactive workshops, share insights into their daily research work, talk about their career paths and answer questions about their research fields first-hand.

The high demand underscores the initiative’s success: since the start of 2026, the OeAD has already received over 215 enquiries from schools. Currently, more than 640 researchers are available as science ambassadors, many of whom will also be available for visits to libraries in future.

Visits can be easily booked via the OeAD platform: www.youngscience.oead.at/botschafter_innen
 

Facts about the OeAD initiative

+ 380 school visits were carried out in 2025.

+ In the autumn of 2025, the initiative was extended to include kindergartens and after-school clubs; 75 researchers are currently available for this purpose.

+ The new offer is aimed at all libraries in Austria.

+ Topics range from A for Archaeology to Z for Zoology.

+ Visits can take place on-site or virtually for schools.

+ Participation is free of charge; travel costs may apply where necessary.

For researchers, visits to libraries are a valuable opportunity to engage with new audiences such as adults or families, as Barbara Heinisch, Eurac Research/Institute for Applied Linguistics, emphasised during her first “research visit” to a library: “Libraries bring people and knowledge together. For us researchers, they are an ideal place to engage with interested members of the public about our work and to spark curiosity about science.”

To mark the launch of the initiative’s expansion, a visit was made to the “Neues Landgut” branch of the Vienna City Libraries in Vienna’s 10th district, attended by Minister for Science and Research Eva-Maria Holzleitner, Vienna City Councillor Stefan Gara and OeAD managing director Jakob Calice.

Eva-Maria Holzleitner, Federal Minister for Women, Science and Research, commented: “Science must be accessible to everyone – not just at higher education institutions, but right at the heart of everyday life.

Public libraries are places of knowledge, encounter and open access for all. When research comes to the places where people learn, read and discuss, it strengthens our resilient democracy. The fact that the Science Ambassadors are now also visiting libraries is therefore an important step towards bringing research even more closely into society.”

Jakob Calice, managing director of the OeAD, highlights the success of the Science Ambassadors initiative: “The high demand from schools shows how important direct exchange between researchers and society is. With the libraries, we are now tapping into another low-threshold venue to make science accessible to even more people.”

Vienna City Councillor and Spokesperson for Science and Research Stefan Gara emphasises the initiative’s added value for the public: “Through the Science Ambassadors, we are bringing research to where it reaches the everyday lives of Viennese people – into our libraries as open spaces for education, exchange and curiosity. This not only strengthens the general public’s understanding of science but also brings enormous added value to our schools: children and young people experience research first-hand, ask questions, develop critical thinking skills and may even discover their own enthusiasm for science. In this way, we combine low-threshold access to knowledge with the future skills our city needs.”

Bernhard Pöckl, Director of the City of Vienna Libraries, shares the delight at the Science Ambassador’s visit: “The public libraries are delighted to host the Science Ambassadors. Easy access to knowledge and entertainment is our central concern. In times when facts and basic scientific knowledge are being called into question, we are happy to collaborate on this initiative.”
 

Support, quality assurance and training opportunities provided by the OeAD

The “Science Ambassadors” initiative by Austria’s Education Agency (OeAD) is funded by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Women, Science and Research (BMFWF).

To provide the best possible support for researchers and librarians, the OeAD makes supporting materials available. These include a guide and checklists for planning and delivering workshops and lectures, as well as targeted training opportunities. Researchers can undertake targeted training through the “Science Engagement Skills” courses offered by the ScienceCenter Network association. In addition, the OeAD attends specialist events for librarians and offers selected training courses for them.

Requests for visits can be made at any time via the OeAD website (www.youngscience.oead.at/botschafter_innen). The user-friendly booking platform offers filtering options by federal province and target group, making it easier to select science ambassadors with relevant expertise.