The American Institute of Physics has several functions as the joint agency of the founder Societies and their members. Of these, publishing requires most of the time of the staff and most of the working space in the AIP office. Closely allied to publishing is service to the Secretaries and Treasurers of most of the Societies in handling the clerical aspects of their responsibilities. Finally the AIP provides a united agency representingallof physics in relations with other professional fields and with national agencies both in and out of the Government. The scope of these activities is defined by the Societies through the Institute's Governing Board. It does not includescientificadvice or services, but rather such other relationships between physics and the surrounding community as can benefit from united effort toward objectives which the Societies hold in common.