This report finds that individuals and institutions need clear guidance on the legality of archiving legacy software to ensure continued access to digital files of all kinds and to illuminate the history of technology.

The preservation challenges are daunting, as are those relating to descriptive metadata to render a web resource discoverable. Descriptive Metadata for Web Archiving was prepared in response to this need.

Archiving of the web is gradually increasing, and the number of both end users and knowledgeable practitioners are growing in concert. Communities of practice are coming into existence, and the rich literature described in this report is a testament to the vitality of this new field.

Can web harvesting tools automatically generate descriptive metadata that supports the discoverability of archived web resources? This report seeks to outline some of the answers.

Access to government information is a fundamental principle in a democratic society. Particularly in the digital environment, government information is a driver for economic and social progress, as well as a predicate for an informed citizenry.