Desperate to find a way to defeat Norlock, Dib breaks into the Swollen Eyeball Network's private library.
- All for Nothing: All of Dib's efforts to get Van Helsing's journal come to nothing, as it turns out to contain only useless ramblings.
- Subverted in the long-term, as Dib's actions this chapter lead to him getting assigned Steve and Viera as partners.
- Death Trap: The Swollen Eyeball Network's private library is booby-trapped with plenty of these, to ward off intruders.
- Hidden in Plain Sight: Dib feels this is why the Swollen Eyeball Network's secret library is in such an overt location.
- Innocuously Important Episode: This chapter seems like just another case of "Dib tries to find an edge on Zim and suffers Epic Fail" like so many in canon. However, his actions cause the senior Swollen Eyeball agents to decide in the following chapter to assign Steve and Viera to help him, thus significantly changing the status quo.
- Let Me Get This Straight...: This is Dib's reaction to the circular logic that the other Swollen Eyeball agents hit him with in regards to his request that he be granted access to Van Helsing's journal in their private library.Dib: Let me get this straight. You won't grant me access to the journal until I present proof of Norlock's existence. But the only way I can get that proof and live to tell about it is if I beat him, which I can't do unless I have the journal. Which I can't have unless I beat him?!
- Magical Library: The Swollen Eyeball Network's secret library, full of books about the paranormal.
- Obstructive Bureaucrat: The Swollen Eyeball leaders act as this towards Dib, blocking his mission with red tape.
- Scary Librarian: The aptly named Miss Bookman, who runs the Swollen Eyeballs' secret library.
- Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right!: How Dib justifies breaking into the Swollen Eyeballs' library.
- "Shaggy Dog" Story: Dib spends the whole chapter trying to retrieve the journal of Abraham Van Helsing, hoping that it'll contain information he can use against Norlock. After fighting his way through various death traps, he ultimately finds out that the journal is useless, just containing random ramblings.
- Shout-Out: Dib compares the booby traps in the Swollen Eyeball Network library to Indiana Jones.
- Spooky Silent Library: The Swollen Eyeball Network's library.
