The ethical concerns for archivists in an era of change.

• Author: Miller, Sarah Peasley
• Position: Book review

The Ethical Archivist

Author: Elena S. Danielson

Publisher: Society of American Archivists

Publication Date: 2010

Length: 442 pages

Price: $49

ISBN: 1-931666-34-2

Source: www.saa.archivists.org

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There may be a delightfully subversive message woven throughout The Ethical Archivist, a focused and remarkably readable guide for archivists. Author Elena Danielson, a consultant and archivist emerita of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, provides a tidy summary of the profession as seen through the prism of ethics. She takes us from ancient times to social networks, all the while illustrating her points with numerous and compelling national and international examples.

Extending far beyond the interest of the professional archivist, this book will intrigue and inspire records managers, amateur historians, public servants, and all records and information management professionals who are witnessing the stunning proliferation of digital information.

Danielson argues that the contradictory nature of archival work creates the same challenges in varied environments, from the small non-profit to the National Archives and Records Administration. Whatever the venue, the archivist has the responsibility to select and transfer records for research; determine how and when to discard archived records; protect private information; preserve authenticity; and provide fair access.

She skillfully describes how ethics plays into each step, even as she acknowledges that her approach--providing general principles, supplemented with real-world examples where a collection's requirements demanded creative problem-solving "will raise more questions than answers."

Professional Codes Create a Foundation

An archivist's foundation is comprised of professional codes. Danielson surveys archival and related fields to identify standards for good conduct and provides 125 pages of endnotes and appendices for the reader.

But codes are just the beginning, she says. "Archival ethics develop out of the cumulative efforts of many working professionals to solve certain dilemmas as they occur on the job ... When these experiences are assimilated and shared, the ethical context of the professional improves. The result can be a sense of trust in the integrity of archival institutions." There is no objective history without documents, she adds.

The ethical archivist does not "mechanically and mindlessly" follow orders, but must instead consider social...