A system for normalizing schemas and for archiving normalized schemas in a schema repository. A schema generator receives user input and creates normalized schemas based on the user input. The normalized schemas are archived in a schema repository that has a directory tree structure that can be searched to retrieve a schema using the schema namespace. Once a schema has been archived in the schema repository, the schema and its namespace preferably are frozen and cannot be altered. Schemas can be reused by searching the schema repository for a schema having a particular namespace, retrieving the archived schema and importing the retrieved schema into a document being created. The system may include multiple schema repositories with identical directory tree structures having identical schemas archived at identical locations in the directory tree structures.