Eleven years after the release of Encoded Archival Description (EAD), archivists' reactions to it range from wholehearted acceptance to outright rejection. In the middle of this spectrum are archivists who decide to implement EAD but encounter obstacles in doing so. This paper reports the findings of a survey of sixteen such cases. It identifies barriers to implementation such as lack of staff and a gap between the technology needed to publish EAD and the skills of many archivists. It discusses solutions and recommends changing the emphasis of EAD training, using server-friendly software, and engaging consultants to bolster archivists' technology expertise.

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