I have been advised that there is only one thing more ruinous to one's reputation than an absent debut to the American Library Association conference, and that is to inflict a maiden paper upon someone else to read. But after absorbing some of Mr. Legler's courage and optimism, I cannot refrain from treading upon this dangerous ground and setting forth a few pet theories. I do not know that Sears, Roebuck & Company needs an introduction or an explanation, but as the character, combined with the magnitude of the house, is quite unique, and is such a vital part of the library work, the foundation of this paper, as well as of the work itself, must of necessity be predicated upon some knowledge of the house machinery. We are dealing with a mail order retail house, and this paper will be based upon the central plant only. The existence of the outlying factories, not only in Chicago but throughout the country, all under the control of one corporation, opens up a new field in commercial library work, which to my knowledge has never been touched. The house handles everything--that does not mean the usual stock of a department store, but everything that can be bought and sold. New opportunities arise as your eye wanders down the list of the various departments. Our house directory lists over 200 departments, including jewelry, baby clothes, and farm implements. In fact, a home can be furnished complete from parlor to stables. Besides the merchandise, we have the various administration and utility departments, which include press rooms, bindery, machine shops, shipping rooms, employment department, restaurant, green house, hospital, barber shop, chemical laboratory, etc. With this cosmopolitan center, condensed under one management, there is no limit to library possibilities. My experience so far has been that everything in print can find a congenial resting place somewhere in the house. The central plant occupies three square blocks, including five buildings and a sixth in the process of construction. The largest of these, the merchandise building, is nine stories high and two blocks long, and is a condensed village in population and activity. The library is located next to one of the most popular sections in this building, the employees' and house sales department. In this section employees are obliged to call for their personal purchases. This is an added convenience and a time saving arrangement. The printing building, administration building, power house and paint factory complete the group of this seething little city, and make one wish that a branch library might be established in every corner.