<p>This article investigates the evolving role of local (municipal) archives in Flanders, focusing on the paradigmatic tension between traditional evidential and emergent socially engaged archival functions: what signs of a paradigm shift are observable, and which factors facilitate or hinder a transition toward a more transformative archival praxis? Employing a critical studies lens and a mixed-methods approach—combining an online survey and interviews—the study finds that technical-administrative and evidential responsibilities remain dominant, with cultural and public-oriented roles considered as secondary and optional in nature. While professionals express intrinsic motivation for broader societal engagement, structural barriers such as ambiguous policy, fragmented mandates, and resource constraints inhibit the development of multi-dimensional, socially engaged archival practices. The findings demonstrate that the transformative potential of local archives depends less on ideological divisions than on the professionals’ ability to develop strategic agency and to navigate an uncertain policy environment. The findings conclude that realizing transformative change requires integrated policy frameworks, critical-theory informed training, and strategic leadership to foster archives as genuine agents of social change by harmonizing evidential integrity and affective engagement.</p>