This introductory letter explains how Liebert plans to compose a study of the books available to Johnson and how they influenced his mind. He is already an acquaintance of Professor Tinker of Yale University, of whom Liebert was a former student; Professor Pootle of Yale University and Dr Chapman. He asks for information from Reade and plans to visit him; he is currently staying in Lichfield.

The original envelope is attached to this letter. A note on the letter claims that it was written in 1937, but the envelope claims that it was sent in April 1948. The date of 1937 seems considerably early considering that the rest of the material is dated between 1948 and 1950, unless correspondence between 1937 and 1948 has simply not survived. However, it seems unlikely that Liebert would write a letter to Reade in 1948, the year his article on Reade 's Johnsonian Gleanings (see ALR.B.1.12.2) was published, and yet not mention it in his letter. Thus if this letter was not written in 1948, then it is possible that the letter was not sent in the envelope attached to it.