CA Reference Services & Access Management 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which standard provides the primary data structure for encoding archival finding aids in XML for online delivery?
- Dublin Core
- MARC 21
- Encoded Archival Description (EAD) (Correct answer)
- PREMIS
Correct answer: Encoded Archival Description (EAD)
EAD is the XML-based standard maintained by SAA and the Library of Congress for encoding hierarchical archival finding aids.
Question 2: When a researcher requests photocopies of restricted personnel files, the archivist's primary concern should be:
- Ensuring the copy machine is functioning properly
- Balancing the researcher's right to access with the privacy rights of individuals named in the records (Correct answer)
- Determining whether the records have been digitized
- Verifying that the researcher has academic credentials
Correct answer: Balancing the researcher's right to access with the privacy rights of individuals named in the records
Privacy protections for living individuals and sometimes the recently deceased must be weighed against the research value and any applicable legal access rights.
Question 3: In an archival context, 'reference statistics' are collected primarily to:
- Justify budget requests and demonstrate institutional value (Correct answer)
- Measure the number of pages reproduced for researchers
- Comply with FOIA reporting requirements
- Track which staff members handle the most requests
Correct answer: Justify budget requests and demonstrate institutional value
Reference statistics document usage patterns and institutional impact, supporting budget justification, strategic planning, and demonstrating the archives' value.
Question 4: What is the correct archival term for the intellectual and physical control process that makes a new acquisition usable by researchers?
- Accession
- Processing (Correct answer)
- Disposition
- Appraisal
Correct answer: Processing
Processing encompasses arrangement, description, and creation of finding aids that allow researchers to identify and access the collection's contents.
Question 5: Which approach guides archivists in prioritizing processing of large backlogs by focusing on making collections accessible at a basic level before adding detailed description?
- More Product, Less Process (MPLP) (Correct answer)
- Hierarchical description
- Minimal processing protocol
- Aggregate access strategy
Correct answer: More Product, Less Process (MPLP)
MPLP, developed by Greene and Meissner, advocates for baseline-level processing to open collections faster rather than exhaustive item-level description.
Question 6: A researcher is denied access to records under a 50-year restriction that has now expired. The archivist's appropriate response is to:
- Maintain the restriction because the donor set it permanently
- Review and formally lift the restriction, then provide access if no other legal barriers exist (Correct answer)
- Refer the researcher to the creating organization
- Require the researcher to submit a written appeal
Correct answer: Review and formally lift the restriction, then provide access if no other legal barriers exist
When donor- or policy-imposed time restrictions expire, archivists must formally review and remove them before providing access.
CA Reference Services & Access Management 2
Which standard provides the primary data structure for encoding archival finding aids in XML for online delivery?