The Open Archives Initiative (OAI) Protocol for Metadata Harvesting program presents a method by which metadata regarding archives and manuscripts can be shared and made more interoperable with metadata from other sources. Outlines a method for exposing hierarchical metadata from encoded archival description (EAD) files and assesses some theoretical and practical issues to be confronted by institutions choosing to provide or harvest OAI records generated from EAD files. (Author/AEF)