A procedure for the sequential optimization of the calibration of an item bank is given. The procedure is based on an empirical Bayes approach to a reformulation of the Rasch model as a model for paired comparisons between the difficulties of test items in which ties are allowed to occur. First, it is indicated how a paired-comparisons design deals with the usual incompleteness of calibration data and how the item parameters can be estimated using this design. Next, the procedure for a sequential level of single subjects responding to pairs of items and then for groups of items and subjects of any size. The paper concludes with a discussion of the choice of the first priors in the procedure and the problems involved in its generalization to other item response models. (One graph illustrates a paired-comparisons design for item banking.) (Author)