The article hopefully aims to discuss the dual roles the european archival institutions, as representative cultural sectrors, are called to undertake in the information age concerning: - the ongoing tranformations in the cultural domain associated with the rapid changes following the information society - the production and transmittion of historical knowledge as a source of power in a global environment in affirming the notion of "personhood", interpreted as a process on european identity formation, both cultural, social and political. The following are the three main entities of the article: " The recognition of archival information as a social resource in the present knowledge based society The information society becomes at the third phase (information-dominated society, 1990s-2000s) of its development with a culture of information. The above statement can be seen as a recognition of the historical value of information through the promotion (production, transmission and consumption) of cultural values in the interest of individual and national development; beyond that, even as a challenge for the historical information to turn into one of power, via learning, creativity and inclusion. In terms of symbolism and reality, the promotion of archival information can lead to an age of enhanced social openness, understanding and tolerance, in at least two ways: through its contribution to recording and reflecting personal, family and community identity; as a contributor to public understanding of the way in which societies are governed and of the activities carried out on the citizen's behalf, promoting transparency and democratic accountability. " The relevance of european archival sectors as a challenge to power in the information society A policy focused in crucial targets should be central to european archival institutions' thinking and planning if they intend to challenge stereotypes and to provide a subtle and creative interpretation of internal diversity in a changing Europe. - Learning (formal-informal) - Community enrichment - Cultural diversity - Social inclusion - Culture and creativity - Personal identity Improving access as a wider-oriented archival policy, that is not mainly national oriented but rather european in an emerging environment of global virtual reality, makes sense in terms of economics and audience development as well as equality of opportunity, social justice and compliance with legislation. This is an explicit proposal for participation in the construction of "european citizenship"- not as an effort to replace national citizenship, but as a way of complementing it. " The impact of the european archival domain on identity formation and interpretation of "personhood" Archival institutions, as holders of world tangible heritage, serve as a stimulus for everybody's memory. They cristalize in their manifestation the specificity of an indentity- individually, nationally and supranationally- in at least three dimensions: - cultural - social - political The values of tolerance and respect for others' rights, as well as the willingness to accept various civic obligations, are learned- both through interacting with others in a society and through formal education. In many situations, this frame of mind does not prevail; and even though legal provisions supporting individuality and citizenship may be in place, the daily behaviour of people is not congruent with them. One indispensable element of cultural reform in european countries is therefore to encourage the development of a culture of "personhood", intreprented as "individual"-"national'"-"supranational" identity. Particularly at a time when the message provided by most media is likely to stress the benefits of competition and individual advancement, archival services through television, radio, classroom presentations, neighbourhood meetings, can play a role in raising awareness of "personhood", defining differentiation in behavioural patterns and promoting tolerance in respecting rights and explaining obligations.