Introduction: Very little research crosses the institutional boundaries of libraries and archives, and theres appears to be little predisposition to look for areas of common interest. However, practitioners in these settings have much to learn from each other. Purpose: This paper argues that practitioners' understanding of information management is likely to be influenced by their occupation and that this narrow view does not foster an environment which is conducive to the sharing of knowledge and experiences between the institutional types. The potential value which could be realised in increasing awareness of the nature and purpose of each other's domains and familiarity with the literature in each area, is illustrated by using the example of joint use libraries and comparing this to the changing pattern of user services in archives. The need for greater understanding of different perspectives in the digital environment is also signalled. Conclusions: The information continuum theory is proposed as a framework to underpin research that encompasses all professional groups active in information management.