CA Risk Management & Mitigation 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which environmental monitoring parameter is most critical for preventing mold growth in archival storage areas?
- Temperature below 65°F
- Relative humidity below 65% (Correct answer)
- CO2 levels below 1000 ppm
- Lux levels below 50
Correct answer: Relative humidity below 65%
Relative humidity above 65% creates conditions favorable for mold growth, making it the most critical parameter to control.
Question 2: An archivist discovers that a sprinkler head directly above irreplaceable manuscript boxes is leaking slightly. What is the FIRST action to take?
- Document the leak with photographs
- Move the boxes immediately to a dry area
- Notify facilities management and await their response
- Place waterproof covers over the boxes while notifying facilities simultaneously (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Place waterproof covers over the boxes while notifying facilities simultaneously
Protecting the collection from immediate water damage while simultaneously notifying the responsible party addresses both urgent protection and proper procedure.
Question 3: What does the term 'inherent vice' refer to in the context of archival risk management?
- Deliberate damage caused by staff mishandling
- The tendency of materials to deteriorate due to their own chemical composition (Correct answer)
- External threats such as pests or water damage
- Risks introduced during digitization processes
Correct answer: The tendency of materials to deteriorate due to their own chemical composition
Inherent vice refers to the natural instability of materials due to their own chemical makeup, such as the acidity in wood-pulp paper.
Question 4: A risk register for an archival repository should be reviewed and updated at what minimum frequency?
- Daily
- Monthly
- Annually (Correct answer)
- Only after an incident occurs
Correct answer: Annually
Risk registers should be reviewed at least annually to ensure identified risks remain current and mitigation strategies are effective.
Question 5: Which of the following best describes a 'residual risk' in archival risk management?
- Risk that cannot be identified until after a disaster occurs
- Risk that remains after all mitigation measures have been applied (Correct answer)
- Risk associated with physical remains of damaged materials
- Risk from items with unknown provenance
Correct answer: Risk that remains after all mitigation measures have been applied
Residual risk is the remaining level of risk after controls and mitigation strategies have been implemented.
Question 6: When prioritizing salvage operations after a flood, archivists should FIRST recover which type of materials?
- The largest collection by volume
- Unique and irreplaceable items with highest research value (Correct answer)
- The most recently acquired materials
- Items stored closest to the exit
Correct answer: Unique and irreplaceable items with highest research value
Salvage priority should be given to unique, irreplaceable materials with the highest intrinsic or research value that cannot be recovered through other means.
Question 7: What is the purpose of conducting a 'tabletop exercise' in the context of archival disaster planning?
- Physically rehearsing salvage procedures with real materials
- Discussing and walking through response scenarios to identify gaps in the plan (Correct answer)
- Testing fire suppression systems in the reading room
- Training staff to repair water-damaged documents
Correct answer: Discussing and walking through response scenarios to identify gaps in the plan
A tabletop exercise is a discussion-based simulation where staff walk through disaster scenarios to identify weaknesses in the emergency response plan.
CA Risk Management & Mitigation 2
Which environmental monitoring parameter is most critical for preventing mold growth in archival storage areas?