Archivist Archival Principles & Practices Flashcards

What does the principle of 'original order' require an archivist to do when processing a collection?

Answer: Maintain the arrangement established by the creator

Original order requires maintaining the arrangement the creator established, as it reflects the creator's activities and relationships among records.

Which appraisal theory emphasizes selecting records based on their potential to document society's major functions rather than institutional history?

Answer: Macro-appraisal

Macro-appraisal, developed by Terry Cook, focuses on appraising records based on the societal functions they document rather than their institutional origin.

When an archivist encounters a deed of gift that restricts access to a collection for 25 years, what is the PRIMARY obligation?

Answer: Honor the restriction terms as a legal and ethical obligation

Deeds of gift are legal instruments, and archivists are ethically and legally bound to honor access restrictions stipulated by donors.

Which of the following best describes 'intrinsic value' in archival appraisal?

Answer: Qualities that make the original irreplaceable even if copied

Intrinsic value refers to qualities—age, aesthetic appeal, signature, seal—that make the physical original worth retaining even when content has been captured digitally.

An archivist is creating a finding aid for a newly processed collection. Which descriptive standard is MOST widely used in the United States for this purpose?

Answer: Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS)

DACS is the US standard for describing archival materials and is maintained by the Society of American Archivists.

What is the primary purpose of Encoded Archival Description (EAD)?

Answer: To encode finding aids in XML for interoperability and online access

EAD is an XML-based standard that encodes finding aids, enabling repositories to share and display archival descriptions online in a standardized format.

During a survey of an unprocessed collection, an archivist discovers materials that appear to belong to a different creator mixed in. What archival principle guides the correct action?

Answer: Separate the materials to respect provenance of each creator

The principle of provenance requires that records from different creators be kept separate to preserve the context of each creator's activities.