Life on the lam leads the Baudelaires to a horrifying hospital with an enormous library that could hold the answers to all of their questions.
Having run out of gas, the Baudelaires evade Olaf and his troupe by hitching a ride with a volunteer singing candy stripers heading to Heimlich Hospital. They learn that there is a Library of Records that collects esoteric records.
After sneaking past the hospital's administration head and human resources manager Babs, they meet Hal who runs the Hall of Records, who welcomes their help, but he only allows them to help sort incoming material but not to read anything already there. The children quickly gain Hal's trust. While being shown the ropes, a film reel labeled "Snicket" arrives; Hal says he has a secret locate where he stores similar records.
Meanwhile, believing the Sugar Bowl is somewhere in the hospital, Olaf and his troupe take the role of doctors and nurses, and scare Babs as to seize control of the hospital, giving Olaf time to find the Baudelaires and Esme to find the Sugar Bowl.
The children are forced to steal Hal's keys to access the Library, where they find the film, which contains a debriefing by Jacques that reports someone had survived their house fire. However, they are interrupted by Esme, and as they try to escape, the Library is ruined. Violet is captured by Olaf while Klaus and Sunny hide in the air vents.
