The Reading Room Project

Published: 18 January 2013

Director Sarah Bradley has created an audio tour of discovery around The University of Glasgow’s unique and historic McMillan Round Reading Room, which opens to the public today

21ST – 25TH January 2013, McMillan Round Reading Room, University of Glasgow 

and ongoing via www.reading-­‐room.co.uk

Funded by The Alasdair Cameron Scholarship

Director Sarah Bradley has created an audio tour of discovery around The University of Glasgow’s unique and historic McMillan Round Reading Room, which opens to the public today.

Reading Room oldIn an age of e-­‐books, online journals and virtual learning platforms, the reading room is a remnant of a now bygone era, now serving new and equally as important functions. Through a portable audio device, participants are led around the room, and invited to look at it with a fresh perspective – questioning the meaning of the space, and the stories of the hundreds of people who use it every day. Along the way, they’ll be invited to interact with the room in unique and exciting ways, to discover previously unknown facts about a very familiar space and uncover buried literary treasure in the usually empty shelves.

Sarah was inspired by the changing function of the room: “The reading room is a space used by students every week. In my four years at university it was a second home – a place for study (and daydreaming!) and somewhere I now intrinsically associate with learning. But then you have to consider the original purpose of the “reading room” – it’s now full of computers, and rows and rows of students using the computers to access online journals and articles.

There’s not a book to be found. This made me question the changing function of the room, and made me desperate to do some research about the building itself.”

That research turned out to be fruitful – and Sarah has uncovered a wealth of historical and anecdotal information about the room. Using that information, she has created an audio tour full of intrigue, surprise and wonder.

 

Conceived and Directed By Sarah Bradley

Produced by Callum Smith

Creative Assistants – Cerne Felstead and Sam Gregson

First published: 18 January 2013

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