Archives and Special Collections Flashcards
7 cards from real Library Science practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Archives and Special Collections flashcards as text
What is the primary purpose of a finding aid in an archival setting?
Answer: To describe the contents and organization of an archival collection
A finding aid describes the scope, content, and arrangement of an archival collection to help researchers locate relevant materials.
Which of the following best defines 'provenance' as used in archival practice?
Answer: The origin and history of custody of archival records
Provenance refers to the origin of records and the chain of custody, which is a foundational principle in archival science to maintain context and authenticity.
What does the archival principle of 'respect des fonds' require?
Answer: Keeping records from the same creator together as a unit
Respect des fonds requires that records created by a single entity (a person, organization, or office) be kept together and not intermingled with records of other creators.
Encoded Archival Description (EAD) is a standard used primarily for:
Answer: Structuring finding aids in a machine-readable XML format
EAD is an XML-based standard used to encode finding aids so they can be shared, searched, and displayed consistently across archival repositories.
Which organization publishes 'Describing Archives: A Content Standard' (DACS)?
Answer: Society of American Archivists (SAA)
DACS is published and maintained by the Society of American Archivists and provides rules for describing archival materials and their creators.
In archival practice, what is 'original order'?
Answer: The arrangement of records as they were maintained by the creating entity
Original order means preserving the arrangement of records as the creator kept them, because that arrangement reflects the context and relationships among records.
What type of material is typically found in a 'special collections' department of a library?
Answer: Rare books, manuscripts, photographs, and unique primary sources
Special collections departments house rare, fragile, or unique materials such as rare books, handwritten manuscripts, historical photographs, and other primary source materials requiring controlled access.