Prison break booked for library fundraiser
Those heinous villains who besmirch Calgary’s good name by refusing to return their library books in a timely manner face being thrown into an unearthly prison to rot forever.
But they’ll have to pay $40 in order to join 999 of their fellow citizens to enjoy such a privilege.
The fundraising event is the latest edition of the booming, fantasy escape entertainment business that has taken off worldwide, and is the brainchild of Anders Svensson, already known to thousands of Calgarians for his long-running, scavenger-hunt contest, Treasure League.
Participants in this Locked Library evening, to be held Sept. 15, will have three hours to solve several clever puzzles to escape their make-believe, maximum-security jail, which is set in outer space.
The event is part of the annual Beakerhead festival, and all funds raised will go toward the Calgary Public Library’s Add-In campaign, which is well on the way to hitting its $350-million target.
“It will be a three-hour experience with the proceeds to support the library. Everyone who is locked up — for committing terrible crimes such as not returning their library books on time — will be handed a booklet with all the clues. Then they have to navigate every floor, going to secret rooms and finding all these interesting, hidden things,” said Paul McIntyre Royston, president and CEO of the Calgary Public Library Foundation, who will emcee the evening.
A chance meeting between McIntyre Royston and Svensson launched the idea of a locked library fundraiser. A team from the library had taken part in one of Svensson’s month-long scavenger hunts, not realizing that the hidden treasure would ultimately be found in their own workspace.
“I hid the treasure chest in the Central Library on the fourth floor behind some books. One of the library team had her desk right beside the spot but they didn’t win. Then I heard Paul, who had been on the team, wanted to talk with me — I thought: ‘Oh no, I’m going to be banned from the library’ but he was really nice. We had a coffee and the idea of a locked library fundraiser came from there,” said Svensson.
Two smaller events were staged at the Fish Creek branch in the spring. The 200 tickets were quickly snapped up, so it was decided to expand and use all six storeys of the larger downtown main branch.
People are encouraged to form teams of four and can purchase tickets at libraryafterdark.ca. Families are welcome. Singles will be paired to form teams. Already, more than 350 tickets have been sold.
“The building is an excellent spot for this because it is such a diverse, massive space. The night will be themed as a prison in space for people who have committed library crimes. Your job is to escape,” said Svensson.
“It will begin with 200 people on each of the upper floors and all will start at the same time. The trick is moving people through the building so they are not on top of each other.”
“The important thing is everyone can win — they can all escape…. There is a first prize but everyone has the time to escape — it will be a mass prison break,” he added.
The ongoing Add-In campaign, which will support the new Central Library and priority needs throughout the system, has now raised $305 million, including the City of Calgary’s major funding and contributions from the province. However, the additional fundraising from such events as the locked library will go toward the ultimate goal of making the library system in Calgary the best in the world.
McIntyre Royston said construction on the new Central Library is currently on time and under budget, with an expected public opening on Nov. 1, 2018.