CA Arrangement & Description 3

Question 1

What is the primary purpose of a collection inventory in archival description?

Accepted Answer

To provide a detailed description of a collection's contents, context, and arrangement

Answer

To count every individual item for insurance valuation

Answer

To record the financial value of holdings for budget reporting

Answer

To track outgoing loans to other archival institutions

Question 2

DACS was developed as a U.S. implementation of which international archival description standard?

Accepted Answer

ISAD(G) — International Standard Archival Description (General)

Answer

ISO 9001 Quality Management Standard

Answer

MARC 21 bibliographic format

Answer

Dublin Core Metadata Initiative

Question 3

What term describes the hands-on work of physically organizing, foldering, boxing, and labeling archival materials?

Accepted Answer

Processing

Answer

Cataloging

Answer

Indexing

Answer

Digitization

Question 4

Which finding aid element provides background information on the person, family, or organization that created the records?

Accepted Answer

Administrative/Biographical History

Answer

Scope and Content Note

Answer

Arrangement Note

Answer

Conditions Governing Access

Question 5

What is a 'register' in archival terminology?

Accepted Answer

A type of finding aid listing the contents of a collection at the folder level

Answer

A log of researchers who have used a particular collection

Answer

A system for tracking and numbering accessions as they arrive

Answer

A list identifying all restricted materials in the repository

Question 6

When describing photographic materials in an archival collection, which characteristic is particularly critical to document?

Accepted Answer

The photographic process, physical condition, and image characteristics

Answer

The weight of the photographic albums and housings

Answer

The color of the album covers and storage envelopes

Answer

The number of identifiable subjects visible in each image

Question 7

When an archivist discovers that the original order of a collection has been disrupted before acquisition, what is the recommended approach?

Accepted Answer

Reconstruct the original order as far as possible and document any decisions made

Answer

Impose a new logical order based entirely on the archivist's professional judgment

Answer

Arrange all materials alphabetically by document title or subject

Answer

Leave the materials in whatever disturbed order they were received without any intervention