Introducing first-year and transfer students to a college library with a historical mystery from the special collections

Abstract

When first-year and transfer undergraduate students arrive at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, an urban four-year commuter college, they may feel anxious about using the library. To welcome students and showcase the library as a relevant part of their college experience, librarians created “Escape the Library!”, a murder mystery game based on a real 1921 crime. Students compete in teams to find clues and solve the mystery, drawing on primary sources housed in the special collections. The major objectives for the activity are to introduce students to the library building, foster a welcoming and fun atmosphere, and acquaint students with basic research skills. In partnership with another campus program, and with small grants supporting campus engagement, the library has offered this activity to over 600 students without an additional budget and without overburdening staff. This article describes the coordination, design, and narrative of this successful activity, including iterative changes made based on student feedback. A post-activity survey indicated that these changes resulted in improvements: 88% of students surveyed called the activity “fun” or “very fun,” and 92% stated that they gained a research skill or learned about a library resource.