This report introduces archivists to the potential of expert systems for improving archives administration and alerts them to ways in which they can expect intelligent technologies to impact federal record-keeping systems and scholarly research methods. The report introduces the topic by describing expert systems used in three Fortune 500 companies. It then defines expert systems, distinguishes them from conventional programs, and presents the capabilities of the technology together with examples of suitable applications. Discussion of the building of an expert system application begins with a short history of the evolution of the technology, followed by a detailed account of knowledge engineering, i.e., the process used to develop an expert system. Descriptions of several expert systems applications in the federal government highlight applications in the Internal Revenue Services, the Social Security Administration, and the Office of Management and Budget (Executive Office of the President). A report on the library profession's emerging use of this technology focuses largely on the three national libraries of the federal government: the National Library of Medicine, the National Agricultural Library, and the Library of Congress. The discussion of recent advances in expert systems technology that concludes the paper examines limitations of the technology, identifies likely frontiers for further research and development, and considers the implications of the technology for archives administration. A list of sources and related bibliographies is appended. (MAB)