The emergence of computer and network technologies has presented the archival profession with daunting challenges as well as inspiring opportunities. Archivists have been actively imagining and realizing the application of advanced technologies to their professional functions and activities. Using advanced technologies, archivists have been transforming archival description, freeing it from the limits of traditional media. Markup and database technologies are the two most prevalent methods for representing textual information. Each best represents and exploits textual data with different though complementary characteristics. Researchers and developers are increasingly working to integrate the two technologies. The integration of the two technologies will enable archivists to collaboratively further the ongoing transformation of archival description. (Contains 8 notes.)