Attendees will meet Susana Sanchez-Gonzalez in the Atrium to start. Please note that this sessions requires attendees to 'race' to the Research Room (previously Modern Reading Room) and back as part of the competition. Both the Atrium and Research Room have step-free access, but we encourage you to take the travelling time that you need, if you sign up to this event. If you have any concerns, please contact the conference team to discuss.

Ready to dive into the world of Special Collections? Race across the catalogue is a fast, fun, and slightly chaotic challenge where your research skills are the key to victory. In teams of three, you’ll receive a mysterious question and a list of five books from Special Collections. Your mission? Track down the answer, fast.

Here’s how it works:

Figure out which book might hold the answer to your question
Using your phone or another device, find the book in the library catalogue
Submit a booking form
Wait for approval from the Reading Room team
Head into the Reading Room to hunt down the answer
Return the book and race back to be the first team to give the answer

With only 15 spots available (5 teams total), this challenge is all about speed, strategy, and teamwork. It’s a fun, hands-on way to explore the library collections whilst getting a real taste of the joys and tribulations of using a special collections research room! There will be prizes too. Chocolate-based. Most likely.

Registrations are closed

Race Across the Catalogue!