CA Arrangement & Description 2

Question 1

In archival arrangement, what is a 'series'?

Accepted Answer

A body of records filed or maintained together because of some relationship

Answer

A series is a group of records maintained together because they relate to the same function, activity, subject, or filing system, forming a logical unit within a collection.

Question 2

What is the primary purpose of a box and folder list within a finding aid?

Accepted Answer

To help researchers identify the specific physical location of materials

Answer

A box and folder list serves as a container list that identifies the precise physical location of materials, allowing researchers to request specific boxes or folders.

Question 3

Which of the following best defines a 'fonds' in international archival terminology?

Accepted Answer

The whole of records created and received by a particular person or organization

Answer

A fonds is the total body of records that originated from a single creator—a person, family, or organization—reflecting their activities and functions.

Question 4

How does 'arrangement' differ from 'description' in archival processing?

Accepted Answer

Arrangement is the physical and intellectual organization of records; description creates the access tools that communicate that organization

Answer

Arrangement involves organizing records into logical groupings and determining their order, while description involves creating finding aids and other tools that communicate that arrangement to researchers.

Question 5

Which encoding standard makes archival finding aids machine-readable and interoperable across different repositories?

Accepted Answer

XML following the EAD schema

Answer

EAD (Encoded Archival Description) uses XML to structure finding aid data so it can be shared, searched, and aggregated across different archival information systems.

(CA) Certified Archivist Certification Practice Test

(CA) Certified Archivist Certification Practice Test

CA Arrangement & Description 2