Using a podcast format, this dissertation examines our cultural and societal relationships with libraries and archives, both as places of wonder and as places of fear. My examination is conducted through a narratological and rhetorical analysis of four speculative fiction series, including Genevieve Cogman’s The Invisible Library series, A.J. Hackwith’s Hell’s Library series, Rachel Caine’s The Great Library series, and Rod Duncan’s The Fall of the Gas-Lit Empire series. My analysis provides the framework for a larger conversation about information accessibility and equity in higher education and the need for open access and open educational resources. Along the way, I provide a transparent perspective on the nature of graduate-level work, the difficulty of the dissertation process, and the mental health struggles that often come along for the ride.