Preservation is usually the last thing someone thinks about when they are creating content. We have all experienced times when it would be nice to have a little more information about our content so that it can be properly characterized, preserved and used. The same is certainly true for electronic content. Given the explosion of digital content that is being developed today, initially paying some attention to making this content accessible and usable in perpetuity will pay big dividends when it comes time to manage this content through preservation processes.The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and other Federal Agencies are focusing to increase attention on practical solutions for improving agency management of their electronic records from the point of creation. NARA is using the foundation created with the Electronic Records Archive (ERA) program, electronic records management, and improved online public access to build a digital future rooted in the records of the past.