A conference like this is not an end-point, but
part of a process of discourse about how libraries
and archives handle the increasingly diverse
kinds of materials that scholars find interesting.
A follow-on discussion will take place at the
American Library Association in Washington in
January 2001. No one expects quick solutions to
the problems. What is interesting is how much
agreement there is on issues like digital
preservation and the use of EAD. I do not wish
to exaggerate. Both are still controversial in the
larger library and archival world, and many
problems remain to be solved. But progress has
been made. Peggy Bolger of the Library of
Congress especially deserves thanks for
organizing the conference and for providing an
intellectual framework for further work