Index: dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/InstallItem.java
===================================================================
--- dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/InstallItem.java	(revision 4205)
+++ dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/InstallItem.java	(working copy)
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@
 import org.dspace.authorize.AuthorizeException;
 import org.dspace.core.ConfigurationManager;
 import org.dspace.core.Context;
+import org.dspace.embargo.EmbargoManager;
 import org.dspace.handle.HandleManager;
 
 /**
@@ -90,9 +91,17 @@
         Item item = is.getItem();
         String handle;
 
+        // this is really just to flush out fatal embargo metadata
+        // problems before we set inArchive.
+        DCDate liftDate = EmbargoManager.getEmbargoDate(c, item);
+
         // create accession date
         DCDate now = DCDate.getCurrent();
         item.addDC("date", "accessioned", null, now.toString());
+
+        // add date available if not under embargo, otherwise it will
+        // be set when the embargo is lifted.
+        if (liftDate == null)
         item.addDC("date", "available", null, now.toString());
 
         // create issue date if not present
@@ -100,7 +109,9 @@
 
         if (currentDateIssued.length == 0)
         {
-            item.addDC("date", "issued", null, now.toString());
+            DCDate issued = new DCDate();
+            issued.setDateLocal(now.getYear(),now.getMonth(),now.getDay(),-1,-1,-1);
+            item.addDC("date", "issued", null, issued.toString());
         }
 
         // if no previous handle supplied, create one
@@ -157,6 +168,11 @@
         // the defaults from the collection
         item.inheritCollectionDefaultPolicies(is.getCollection());
 
+        // set embargo lift date and take away read access if indicated.
+        if (liftDate != null)
+            EmbargoManager.setEmbargo(c, item, liftDate);
+
+
         return item;
     }
 
Index: dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/Item.java
===================================================================
--- dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/Item.java	(revision 4205)
+++ dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/Item.java	(working copy)
@@ -2261,4 +2261,33 @@
         DCValue t[] = getMetadata("dc", "title", null, Item.ANY);
         return (t.length >= 1) ? t[0].value : null;
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Find all the items in the archive with ANY entries in the
+     * indicated metadata field.
+     *
+     * @param context DSpace context object
+     * @param schema metdata field schema
+     * @param element metdata field element
+     * @param qualifier metdata field qualifier
+     * @return an iterator over the items matching that authority value
+     * @throws SQLException, AuthorizeException, IOException
+     */
+    public static ItemIterator findByMetadataField(Context context,
+             String schema, String element, String qualifier)
+         throws SQLException, AuthorizeException, IOException
+    {
+        MetadataSchema mds = MetadataSchema.find(context, schema);
+        if (mds == null)
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException("No such metadata schema: "+schema);
+        MetadataField mdf = MetadataField.findByElement(context, mds.getSchemaID(), element, qualifier);
+        if (mdf == null)
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException("No such metadata field: schema="+schema+", element="+element+", qualifier="+qualifier);
+
+        TableRowIterator rows = DatabaseManager.queryTable(context, "item",
+            "SELECT item.* FROM metadatavalue,item WHERE item.in_archive='1' "+
+            "AND item.item_id = metadatavalue.item_id AND metadata_field_id = ?",
+            mdf.getFieldID());
+        return new ItemIterator(context, rows);
 }
+}