Elena S. Danielson, director of the Hoover Library and Archives, receives writing award from the Society of American Archivists

The Society of American Archivists' 2005 Fellows' Ernst Posner Award was presented to Elena Danielson for her article in the most recent volume of the American Archivist. The award, established in 1982 by the Fellows of SAA and named for former SAA President Ernst Posner, recognizes an outstanding essay dealing with some facet of archival administration, history, theory, and/or methodology published in SAA’s semi-annual journal. The award was presented to Danielson on August 19, 2005, during SAA’s 69th Annual Meeting in New Orleans at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside.

Danielson, associate director of the Hoover Institution, and director of Library and Archives, received the award for her essay, "Privacy Rights and the Rights of Political Victims: Implications of the German Experience" in volume 67 of the American Archivist. This superior exposition of the conflicts between privacy, security, and access as exemplified in the East German "Stasi" files clearly and effectively sorts out and explains these competing elements. She shows that opening records can help address past injustices and strengthen the democratic process. The article reflects substantial research using primary and secondary resources in multiple languages and offers keen analysis of issues. Danielson demonstrates that privacy rights and the right to information can be reconciled, an issue that is timeless and often vexing for archivists and citizens of all nations.

Anne Van Camp, RLG, presented the award to Danielson with this citation:

"The Society of American Archivists Fellows' Ernst Posner Award for outstanding article published in the American Archivist, Volume 67, 2004, goes to Elena Danielson's "Privacy Rights and the Rights of Political Victims: Implications of the German Experience." This superior exposition of the conflicts between privacy, security and access as exemplified in the East German "Stasi" files clearly and effectively sorts out and explains these competing elements. She shows that opening records can help address past injustices and strengthen the democratic process. The article reflects substantial research using primary and secondary resources in multiple languages and offers keen analyses of issues. She also demonstrates that privacy rights and the right to information can be reconciled, an issue that it timeless and often vexing for archivists and citizens of all nations."

Previous recipients of the Fellows’ Ernst Posner Award include George Bolotenko, an archivist in the Political Archives Section of Library and Archives Canada, for "Frost on the Walls in Winter: Russian and Ukrainian Archives since the Great Dislocation (1991–1999)" in volume 66 of the American Archivist; James O’Toole, a professor of history at Boston College who specializes in American religion, for "Democracy—and Documents—in America," in volume 65 of the American Archivist; William G. Rosenberg, history professor at the University of Michigan for his article, "Politics in the (Russian) Archives: The Objectivity Question, Trust and the Limitation of Law," in volume 64 of the American Archivist; and Terry Cook, professor in the Archival Studies Programme at the University of Manitoba and an archival consultant, for his article, "'The Imperative of Challenging Absolutes' in Graduate Archival Education Programs: Issues for Educators and the Profession," published in volume 63 of the American Archivist.