i saw this as a scene in a real novel recently, too

“A headstrong young protagonist in way over her head visited the microfilm room of the New Haven Public Library Tuesday night in order to delve deeper into a riveting plotline that could put her career—and maybe even her life—on the line….”

Thanks, Onion!

Having dealt with microfilm myself recently (for the first time in, probably, decades), I admit the suspense potential is pretty high. But findability? Not what I’m used to.