Students escape the Law Library (virtually)
Earlier this quarter, we challenged students to do the unthinkable--[virtually] escape from the D'Angelo Law Library. Why would anyone ever want to escape a library, you may rightly ask? We don't know either, but just to help prevent anyone from making any rash decisions, we decided to make it very difficult to [virtually] escape.
Students were challenged to complete 10 puzzles of varying difficulty. These puzzles asked students to use a wide variety of research skills and their own resourcefulness to eventually complete the challenge.
Though this virtual event was designed to be deliberately challenging and at times frustrating, we were overwhelmed by the research and problem-solving abilities of our students. We offered prizes to the first 10 students to complete the challenge, and were amazed that they were all claimed within 48 hours of the contest going live.
Here are some of the reactions from students after completing the challenge:
This was such a fun way to explore the library's and university's websites and learn more about the school. I think it's so easy to just rely on Westlaw for all of your research, so it was a nice way to remember that there are so many other ways to conduct research (whether through the library or just googling).
The Library’s Escape the Room was incredible. I love puzzles, and this one was meticulously structured and detailed to perfection. It was a fantastic way to have some fun and learn a little about the Law School’s history in the process.
What a fun activity!! I wish you could see the messages we sent back and forth trying to decode all of the clues. Or the squeals with each correct answer.
Students who successfully escaped were offered their choice of prizes, including this limited edition t-shirt:
Though all prizes have been claimed, we invite anyone who is curious to test your own research skills and attempt to escape our library...
