The Yorkton Public Library is in danger. Someone is threatening to burn the library down, and the only way to stop them is to get clues, solve puzzles and get out of a room. The library is hosting its first ever escape room on August 22 and 23.
Nicole Hedley, summer student at the Yorkton Public Library, has been hard at work putting the escape room together. She expects teams will be able to complete it in a half hour, and while she says it’s not going to be “super difficult” she does have a few fiendish clues she hopes are a brain twister for participants.
The inspiration for the project came from a desire to get more teenagers in the library, a demographic that is traditionally hard to reach. Hedley thought an escape room would be a fun idea, as the concept has become increasingly popular in cities like Saskatoon.
What she didn’t expect was the room having appeal across demographics.
“I’ve got a group of all adults, I’ve got families, I’ve got groups of teams. People are just super excited about the fact that there is an escape room in Yorkton.”
The unexpected demographics have made Hedley adjust some of her plans for the room, but she says that the process has been a fun one.
“I did change some of the clues... I think it will be good, I hope that the clues are hard enough, that’s my only concern.”
Nobody else in the library actually knows what is going to happen in the room yet, for good reason. Hedley needs them to be the guinea pigs, to test the room so she can tell what works, what doesn’t, and adjust it to make for a better experience.
Interest in the room is partially because of it being a unique recreation activity, Hedley believes. While a lot of recreation activities are based around physical activity, this is a mental workout.
“It’s all about how you see things, and it’s a really interesting way to have people with different perspectives work together. Some clues might be really good for someone who’s really good with language, but some clues might be really good for someone who’s really good with numbers.”
While many of the larger group spots have been taken, there are still places available if someone wants to go with another group. To learn more call Coralee Danyluk at 306-783-3523. While they are pressed for time – this will be Hedley’s last week at the library for the summer – they are glad that the initiative has so much interest and as a result it could return in the future. Danyluk believes it has potential to be a part of their summer programming if all goes well.
“It’s always nice to have a program in the library where you get repeat people coming back to.”
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