CA Archivist Records Management & Preservation 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An archivist is processing a collection and encounters a large series of routine administrative correspondence with no enduring value. The recommended disposition action is:
- Transfer to a regional depository for secondary custody
- Digitize and then destroy the originals
- Apply a records retention schedule and destroy after the retention period (Correct answer)
- Retain permanently as part of the complete record
Correct answer: Apply a records retention schedule and destroy after the retention period
Records schedules authorize timely destruction of temporary records after their administrative, legal, and fiscal value has expired.
Question 2: The chain of custody in archival practice refers to:
- The sequence of archivists who have processed a collection
- The documented transfer of legal ownership from donor to institution
- The chronological record of who has had custody and control of records (Correct answer)
- The physical path records travel from storage to reading room
Correct answer: The chronological record of who has had custody and control of records
Chain of custody documents the unbroken sequence of possession and control, which is essential for establishing authenticity and admissibility.
Question 3: Which metadata standard is most widely used for describing archival collections in the United States?
- Dublin Core (DC)
- Encoded Archival Description (EAD) (Correct answer)
- Machine-Readable Cataloging (MARC)
- Metadata Object Description Schema (MODS)
Correct answer: Encoded Archival Description (EAD)
EAD is the XML-based standard specifically developed for encoding archival finding aids and is the dominant standard in U.S. archives.
Question 4: A researcher requests access to records that contain personally identifiable information (PII) about living individuals. The archivist's primary obligation is to:
- Deny all access to prevent any privacy breach
- Provide full access since all donated records are public
- Balance access rights against privacy protections per institutional policy and applicable law (Correct answer)
- Remove all PII before providing access to any researcher
Correct answer: Balance access rights against privacy protections per institutional policy and applicable law
Archivists must weigh researchers' legitimate access needs against legal and ethical privacy protections for living individuals.
Question 5: The term 'accrual' in archival collections management refers to:
- The process of appraising records for permanent retention
- Additional materials received from an existing donor or source (Correct answer)
- Interest earned on endowment funds used for preservation
- The physical growth of paper records due to humidity expansion
Correct answer: Additional materials received from an existing donor or source
An accrual is a new addition of records from a source from which the repository has already received materials, often part of an ongoing transfer.
Question 6: In digital preservation, 'format migration' is performed primarily to:
- Compress large files to reduce storage costs
- Convert files from obsolete formats to current supported formats (Correct answer)
- Add metadata to previously undescribed digital objects
- Transfer files between different storage media types
Correct answer: Convert files from obsolete formats to current supported formats
Format migration converts digital content from obsolete or at-risk formats to formats with current software support to ensure long-term access.
Question 7: Which element is NOT typically found in a deed of gift agreement for archival donations?
- Transfer of legal title and copyright
- Restrictions on access or use
- Appraised monetary value of the donation (Correct answer)
- Disposition of materials not retained by the archive
Correct answer: Appraised monetary value of the donation
Archives typically do not include monetary appraisals in deeds of gift, as this is a separate process conducted by independent appraisers for tax purposes.
CA Archivist Records Management & Preservation 3
An archivist is processing a collection and encounters a large series of routine administrative correspondence with no enduring value.
The recommended disposition action is: