Library Book

Originally Aired: November 21, 1939

In Fibber McGee & Molly #223, "Library Book," Fibber receives a notice from the public library demanding he return a book he borrowed back in September and pay a hefty fine. The problem is, McGee can't remember what book he borrowed or where he put it. When Gildersleeve delivers the letter, Fibber becomes indignant at the librarian's audacity, insisting it's an outrage that she would threaten him over a mere technicality. Molly initially misunderstands the situation when Fibber mentions being in trouble with a woman, leading to a moment of comic confusion before she realizes it's only about the overdue library book.

As Fibber prepares to visit the library to settle things in person, he still faces the fundamental problem of locating the missing volume. A search through their modest home library turns up an eclectic collection including crossword puzzles from 1922, a Rover Boys adventure, and a Lithuanian dictionary, but no library book. With Gildersleeve asking Fibber to return seven volumes of encyclopedia and the Old Timer stopping by with his usual brand of rambling conversation, McGee must figure out where that borrowed book disappeared to before facing the stern librarian downtown.