MLS Information Systems and Technology 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which component of BIBFRAME replaces the MARC concept of a bibliographic record by representing the most abstract level of a creative work?
- bf:Work (Correct answer)
- bf:Instance
- bf:Item
- bf:Agent
Correct answer: bf:Work
In BIBFRAME, bf:Work represents the highest conceptual level—the intellectual or artistic content—distinct from its physical or digital manifestations.
Question 2: What type of attack exploits unsanitized user input in a web form to execute malicious database commands?
- SQL injection (Correct answer)
- Cross-site scripting (XSS)
- Phishing
- Man-in-the-middle attack
Correct answer: SQL injection
SQL injection inserts malicious SQL statements into input fields that are then executed by the database, potentially exposing or corrupting data.
Question 3: A library is evaluating cloud storage for its digitized collection. Which factor is MOST critical to assess regarding long-term digital preservation?
- The vendor's data redundancy, geographic distribution of storage, and exit/migration policies (Correct answer)
- The monthly subscription cost relative to local storage hardware
- The availability of a mobile app for remote staff access
- The vendor's integration with social media platforms
Correct answer: The vendor's data redundancy, geographic distribution of storage, and exit/migration policies
Long-term preservation requires confidence in data redundancy, disaster recovery across locations, and the ability to migrate data away from the vendor if needed.
Question 4: In information retrieval, what does 'recall' measure?
- The proportion of relevant documents retrieved out of all relevant documents in the collection (Correct answer)
- The proportion of retrieved documents that are actually relevant
- The speed at which a search engine returns results
- The number of unique terms indexed in the system
Correct answer: The proportion of relevant documents retrieved out of all relevant documents in the collection
Recall measures completeness: how many of all the truly relevant documents in the collection were successfully retrieved by the query.
Question 5: Which protocol does a library's proxy server most commonly use to allow off-campus users to access licensed electronic resources?
- EZproxy using URL rewriting or WAM (Web Access Management) (Correct answer)
- SFTP for secure file transfer of licensed content
- SMTP for delivering database access credentials via email
- FTP for downloading full-text articles directly
Correct answer: EZproxy using URL rewriting or WAM (Web Access Management)
EZproxy rewrites database URLs so off-campus users authenticate through the library's server, which publishers recognize as an authorized IP.
Question 6: What is the difference between a controlled vocabulary and a folksonomy in information organization?
- A controlled vocabulary uses standardized, curated terms assigned by professionals, while a folksonomy uses user-generated, uncontrolled tags (Correct answer)
- A folksonomy uses standardized thesaurus terms, while a controlled vocabulary allows any user tag
- Both are identical but used in different software platforms
- A controlled vocabulary applies only to print materials, while folksonomies apply to digital content
Correct answer: A controlled vocabulary uses standardized, curated terms assigned by professionals, while a folksonomy uses user-generated, uncontrolled tags
Controlled vocabularies (e.g., LCSH, MeSH) are curated by experts for consistency, while folksonomies emerge organically from user tagging with no standardization.
Question 7: A library is implementing single sign-on (SSO) using SAML 2.0. Which role does the library's authentication server play in this architecture?
- Identity Provider (IdP) (Correct answer)
- Service Provider (SP)
- Certificate Authority (CA)
- Resource Server (RS)
Correct answer: Identity Provider (IdP)
In SAML 2.0, the Identity Provider authenticates the user and issues assertions; the library's server asserting user identity plays the IdP role.
MLS Information Systems and Technology 4
Which component of BIBFRAME replaces the MARC concept of a bibliographic record by representing the most abstract level of a creative work?