Reference Services & Access Management Flashcards

Which US federal law most directly governs public access to federal agency records and requires agencies to make records available upon request?

Answer: Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)

FOIA grants the public the right to request access to federal agency records, subject to specific exemptions.

What is a 'finding aid' primarily designed to do?

Answer: Help researchers understand and navigate the contents and structure of archival collections

A finding aid describes the scope, arrangement, and contents of archival materials to enable researchers to determine their relevance.

In archival reference services, 'mediated access' means:

Answer: Requiring researchers to work through an archivist who retrieves requested materials

Mediated access is the standard archival model where staff retrieve specific items for researchers rather than allowing open stacks browsing.

Which element is considered the cornerstone of a researcher's registration process in a US archives?

Answer: Signed statement agreeing to rules of use and copyright obligations

Requiring researchers to sign a use agreement establishes their awareness of copyright, privacy rules, and proper handling procedures.

What does 'restricted access' in an archival finding aid typically indicate?

Answer: Certain records are unavailable to researchers due to donor conditions, privacy, or legal requirements

Restricted access means some or all materials in a collection cannot be freely consulted due to privacy, confidentiality, or donor-imposed conditions.

The concept of 'maximum availability' in archival reference services means:

Answer: Repositories should make their holdings as widely accessible as legally and ethically possible

Maximum availability is the ethical principle that archivists should strive to remove barriers to access while respecting legitimate restrictions.