"The Library" is the 22nd episode of the American

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...

sitcom ''

Seinfeld ''Seinfeld'' ( ) is an American television sitcom created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld. It aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, over nine seasons and List of Seinfeld episodes, 180 episodes. It stars Seinfeld as Jerry Seinfeld ( ...

''. It was the fifth episode of the show's third season.

Plot

Jerry Jerry may refer to: Animals * Jerry (Grand National winner), racehorse, winner of the 1840 Grand National * Jerry (St Leger winner), racehorse, winner of 1824 St Leger Stakes Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Jerry'' (film), a 2006 Indian fil ...

learns he has a

library fine A late fee, also known as an ''overdue fine'', ''late fine'', or ''past due fee'', is a charge fined against a client by a company or organization for not paying a bill or returning a rented or borrowed item by its due date. Its use is most commonl ...

from 1971, for the then-controversial book ''

Tropic of Cancer The Tropic of Cancer, which is also referred to as the Northern Tropic, is the most northerly circle of latitude on Earth at which the Sun can be directly overhead. This occurs on the June solstice, when the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward ...

'', and that the "case" has been turned over to the library investigations officer, Lt. Bookman.

George George may refer to: People * George (given name) * George (surname) * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Washington, First President of the United States * George W. Bush, 43rd Presiden ...

arrives at the library, and suspects that the

homeless Homelessness or houselessness – also known as a state of being unhoused or unsheltered – is the condition of lacking stable, safe, and adequate housing. People can be categorized as homeless if they are: * living on the streets, also kn ...

man on the steps outside is Mr. Heyman, a

physical education Physical education, often abbreviated to Phys Ed. or P.E., is a subject taught in schools around the world. It is usually taught during primary and secondary education, and encourages psychomotor learning by using a play and movement explorati ...

teacher at his high school whom he reported for giving him a

wedgie A wedgie is the act of forcibly pulling a person's underpants upwards from the back. The act is often performed as a school prank or a form of bullying. Wedgies are commonly featured in popular works, either as a form of low comedy or as a be ...

, which got him fired. Jerry pays Mr. Bookman, and Heyman holds the dilapidated long-lost copy of ''Tropic of Cancer'' at the alleyway. Kramer flirts with the librarian, Marion, starting a forbidden affair with her. Elaine is concerned that

Mr. Lippman This is a list of characters who appeared on ''Seinfeld''. This list features only characters who appeared in multiple episodes; those that appeared in only one are not included here. Primary characters Jerry Seinfeld George Costanza Elaine ...

is planning to fire her, so after she sees Kramer crying over Marion's poetry, she takes some of it, trying unsuccessfully to impress Lippman with a new literary find.

Reception

Philip Baker Hall Philip Baker Hall (September 10, 1931 – June 12, 2022) was an American character actor. Hall is known for his collaborations with Paul Thomas Anderson, including '' Hard Eight'' (1996), ''Boogie Nights'' (1997) and ''Magnolia'' (1999). He als ...

's role as a lieutenant, whom he played in imitation of

Jack Webb John Randolph Webb (April 2, 1920 – December 23, 1982) was an American actor, television producer, Television director, director, and screenwriter, who is most famous for his role as Joe Friday, Sgt. Joe Friday in the Dragnet (franchise) ...

's Sergeant

Joe Friday Joe Friday is a fictional character created and portrayed by Jack Webb as the lead for his series ''Dragnet (franchise), Dragnet''. Friday is a detective in the Los Angeles Police Department. The character first appeared on June 3, 1949 in the ...

of '' Dragnet'' fame, was very well received. It was considered to be one of the best guest appearances on Seinfeld, and led to Hall receiving many other offers of work. It was rated as one of his most memorable performances. When the New York Public Library decided to eliminate late fees in October 2021, it posted a satiric piece in its blog, supposedly written by another character of that episode (Sherry Becker), wishing Mr. Bookman a happy retirement.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Library 1991 American television episodes Seinfeld (season 3) episodes Works set in libraries