Study room time machine: Creating a virtual library escape game during COVID

In Summer 2020, Stony Brook University Libraries had to envision an online library orientation strategy for incoming students due to COVID-19. As part of a virtual welcome program, librarians and staff collaborated across departmental lines to design and create a virtual library escape room called “Study Room Time Machine” (SRTM), a time travel narrative using Google products that incorporated different library resources and Special Collections and University Archival materials. This case study details the development of the game, the thinking behind it, and an overview of the game’s initial eight weeks. Included is an assessment of the game’s use by the targeted audience and lessons learned about implementing this type of game within a library setting.