From Monday 13th to Saturday 18th of March 2006, The Private Collection was part of the London-wide media arts festival, Node.London.

To read what people thought of it, click here

It's not too late to do the tour. To book your place, and for more information, email:

theprivatecollection (at) gmail.com

or phone

0780 0736525

You can watch a short movie of the tour here

The Private Collection is an audio walk around the British Library, St. Pancras, London.

You are handed a key to a locker. Inside the locker, you find a CD walkman and headset. As you press play you hear an announcement that the library is closing. A woman speaks to you in muted tones, asking you for help. She navigates you through the library, telling you her story and her dreams, while in your right ear a man whispers words of warning and incitement. As you walk through the library you become caught up in a mystery story.

The walk is recorded in binaural audio: you can't tell which sounds are real and which are recorded. You hear footsteps behind you but when you turn around no one is there. Mobile phones ring, people talk loudly next to you, someone is playing the violin outside Rare Books and Music. Inside the reading room you hear other noises: microfilm, computers waking up, people coughing and snoring, whispering, paper rustling.

Experience the library as you never knew it...