Join a Misinformation Escape Room at PLA
Do you like escape rooms? Do you want to understand how an escape room can be used to help inform library patrons about misinformation? If you plan to attend the upcoming PLA conference, we invite you to learn more by participating in The Euphorigen Investigation pop-up at the Oregon Convention Center, on March 23 and 24.
As part of a project led by the University of Washington Information School (UW iSchool), The Euphorigen Investigation is an escape room that immerses players in a world of manipulated media, social media bots, deepfakes and other forms of deception. Two versions of the game were developed (online and in-person) in response to library staff who asked for ways to help patrons navigate misinformation beyond traditional information literacy programs.
Online undergoing final round of testing
In fall 2021, WebJunction helped the UW iSchool team recruit ten libraries to host the online version of Euphorigen. Seventy-eight libraries from 28 states responded to a request for application to participate in the research project. The project team sought a group of libraries that represented a variety of library sizes, geographies, and communities, and ended up with the following participants:
- Jefferson-Madison Regional Library, Charlottesville, VA
- Fresno County Public Library, Fresno, CA
- Gwinnett County Public Library, Lawrence, GA
- Bigelow Free Public Library, Clinton, MA
- William Jeanes Memorial Library, Lafayette Hill, PA
- Boulder Community Library, Boulder, MT
- Calcasieu Parish Public Library, Lake Charles, LA
- Bartlesville Public Library, Bartlesville, OK
- Apache Junction Public Library, Apache Junction, AZ
- Des Moines Public Library - South Side branch, Des Moines, IA
These libraries will help UW iSchool assess the escape room’s impact on misinformation learning goals and guide final improvements to the game before it is released to any interested library to use. Libraries have participated in a series of training sessions to learn about the research and data collection process and how to host the game. Game hosting will happen throughout February and March, and the libraries’ staff will participate in a focus group to share their experiences. After this round of evaluation, Euphorigen will be available for wider library use sometime this summer.
In-person game opportunity at PLA
While the online game gets finalized, you can play the pop-up version of the game at PLA.
Break free from misinformation in an escape room
Immerse yourself in a world of manipulated media, social media bots, deepfakes, and other forms of deception in The Euphorigen Investigation. Join other librarians to see if you can solve the mystery! Faculty from the University of Washington Information School will host the game and share how you can use Euphorigen in your library. Visit Oregon Convention Center, room E145-146:
- Wednesday, March 23, 4:00 – 5:00 pm
- Thursday, March 24, 9:00 – 10:00 am
- Thursday, March 24, 4:00 – 5:00 pm
The pop-up game materials will eventually be available for download via the Loki's Loop website. Additionally, the UW team is in conversations with several state libraries about having game kits available for check out. Stay up to date on details of future releases at LokisLoop.org.
This project has received funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) LG-250050-OLS-21.