The Handle System is a distributed computer system that stores names, or handles, of digital items and can quickly resolve those names into the information necessary to locate and access the items. It was designed by the Corporation for National Research Initiatives as a general purpose global system for the reliable management of information on networks such as the Internet over long periods of time and is currently in use in a number of production and prototype projects. This paper provides a brief history and technical overview of the Handle System, including the need for a general purpose naming system, design objectives, handle name space, and system architecture. Issues in its use in the digital library and electronic publishing arenas are identified, including multiple resolution and the appropriate copy problem. (Contains 10 references.) (Author/MES)