The value of metadata embedded in digital images is recognized by communities at different stages in the lifecycle of an image. Photographers working for news media and publishers embed text information (metadata) into photographs to communicate what is happening in the image and to find those images later. Software developers build applications which expose the metadata in images to assist businesses with image management, search, discovery, and distribution. As more and more images arrive at museums, libraries and other archival institutions in digital form, it may be prudent to reevaluate how digital images and their supporting information are acquired in order to manage the potential glut of new arrivals. This may require, at minimum, exploring the idea of importing metadata that is already embedded when importing digital files into image and database management systems. How this data is extracted and moved into these other systems is important, and should be done in accordance with documented procedures using current industry standards and best practices.