Three short papers consider similar issues from two national perspectives. The first paper, given by Dr Laura Millar (Canada), will consider the changing role of archives and records professionals in the Internet Age in the Canadian context. In particular, she will examine the opportunities and constraints presented by new technologies for the management and dissemination of records and archives and discuss the positive and negative consequences of archival efforts to participate in increasingly popular digital initiatives. Finally she will question the archivist's role in the 21^st century: keeper, interpreter, mediator, or entertainer? The second paper, given by Dr Andrew Flinn (UCL, UK), will explore contemporary debates on identity and community and the impact of the growth of community archives and engagement on professional education. Reporting on research at UCL, funded by the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council, he will explore whether activities such as outreach, diversity training, interpretation, post-custodial support should now be viewed as core professional responsibilities (at least in public sector archives) and if so how these might be reflected within archival education programmes. The third paper, given by Dr Elizabeth Shepherd (UCL, UK) will consider issues relating to governance, in particular the access to information context in the UK, and the inter-relationships between records managers, freedom of information officers, and users of records. She will report on research at UCL which is examining the impact of freedom of information on records management services in public authorities and draw some conclusions about consequences for archival education and research.