Click here!

UPDATE: Nearly six years after setting this manual loose into the world, and almost five years of not-blogging (it’s been…a time) I have recently been overwhelmed with requests for it again, from libraries of all types, schools, scholars, and even private Escape Room and educational companies. I’m fixing the link so it’s freely accessible again. I only ask that you acknowledge the work of myself and Marissa Bucci as the people who established and codified of this design style as appropriate to your usage (or conference presentation…we’ve seen some things  {ahem…} over the years!), or, at the very least, name a character in your Room plot after one or both of us, especially if you are a commercial enterprise. We’re not kidding.

Follow the big link above to a ludicrously detailed manual for staging an Escape Room (or Locked Room/Puzzle Room/Mystery Room) at your library. This manual was written in February of 2016, and it’s been accessed over 10,000 times in the past year-and-a-half (WOW!) Since then, my staff and I have presented it at state and regional conferences, and we’re always happy to help you get started!

NOTE: It’s long, it’s excessively (obnoxiously) detailed, and it will help you get this program off the ground.

Live-action gaming events like this are daunting, even if you have tons of experience with them. But with a bit of patience and creativity (something most librarians have in abundance, I believe), you can make it happen and deliver a unique and unforgettable experience

If you have any questions about any of this stuff, I’m more than happy to help out – again, it’s a lot of information, please feel free to email me at libraryladynicole@gmail.com or comment here.

We are in the midst of planning our third event, after a super-successful Harry Potter-themed game designed by the absurdly talented Marissa this past summer. February 2017: Escape the Arctic! Finally my office Yeti will have its day!

Looking for more information or support (even after reading through that colossal tome of a program manual?) Presentations, workshops and design support for Escape Rooms are all things I do, so don’t hesitate to ask!