It gives me great pleasure to appear before this gathering as the representative of the National Education Association. I do not know what qualifications are ordinarily sought in such a representative, but I judge that two are at least permitted. First, one must be unable to attend the meetings of the National Education Association itself, because it is so far away; and second, one must be supplied with a liberal lack of knowledge of library science. Whatever the qualifications of the representative it is an easy task to say to the Library Association that there is a close bond connection and sympathy between the two associations. We who teach cannot do the work of the schools without recognizing our dependence -on the work that is being done in the community by the library; and I venture to assume that you feel the reciprocal relations yourselves and recognize the importance of a good school in a ,city where you conduct a good library. If I make an effort to comment in any wise upon library matters I shall have to confine myself to those aspects of library work which have to do directly with school organization. I am not competent to speak on your larger problems of the library and the community. But certain it is that we are developing within the schools themselves more work of the type in which you are interested. There are two general lines of discussion and interest which it seems to me proper for one who is interested primarily in the school to present to those of you who are interested primarily in libraries. First, let me say that we are coming to see that the study period in the school is more and more the