"How I became who I am today" was the motto of the Living Book Day that took place in the main library of the University of Vienna on 29 April 2015. Many people with a range of different backgrounds including media, technology, politics, business, NGO and science gave an insight into their personal careers and working life, shared their perspectives and experience. The Vice Dean of the University of Vienna, Professor Christa Schnabl, opened the 4 th Living Book Day saying that such events are essential for graduates and students in order to make the best choice when it comes to their future careers.
What are 'Living books'?
The 'living books' are people with successful careers who can be 'borrowed' by the 'readers' for an informative conversation about their profession with students and graduates attending the event. For the first time this year so-called 'e-books' were available. The 'e-books' were successful people living abroad (Belgium, Japan, Spain, Brazil), connected via Skype and 'readable' by the visitors. The 'living books' could be borrowed for free for a period of half an hour.
The Director of the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) Vienna, Martin Nesirky, joined the event as a 'living book'. Under the title "Behind the Headlines" he shared his personal experience with students and graduates and gave them some tips for their future careers.
Other 'living books' attending the event were journalists Barbara Coudenhove-Kalergi and Birgit Fenderl, the footballer Thomas Janeschitz and the Director of the Museum of Fine Arts Sabine Haag.
The main goal was to provide students and graduates information to help them consider where their own careers will lie.
The complete list of books can be found here.
