5 Archivist Interview Questions and Answers

Introduction

Assistant archivists increasingly manage both physical and digital holdings. This question assesses your technical knowledge of digital preservation, metadata standards, and practical steps to ensure long-term access to born-digital and digitized materials — essential for Brazilian institutions moving toward digital access (e.g., Arquivo Nacional, municipal archives).

How to answer

• Start with a brief overview of the collection(s) you worked with (size, types of digital objects, provenance).
• Outline the end-to-end workflow you implemented: ingest, verification, metadata capture, storage, fixity checking, format migration, and access policies.
• Name specific standards and tools you used (e.g., PREMIS, Dublin Core, METS, OAIS reference model, BagIt, checksums with SHA-256) and justify their choice.
• Describe file format policies (preferred preservation formats like TIFF/PNG for images, PDF/A for documents, WAV for audio), and how you handled proprietary or obsolete formats.
• Explain how you ensured authenticity and integrity (audit trails, fixity monitoring) and how you balanced preservation vs. access (access copies, rights management).
• Quantify impact where possible (number of items preserved, reduction in data loss risk, improved access metrics) and note any local constraints (budget, infrastructure) in Brazil and how you addressed them.

What not to say

• Giving only high-level statements without mentioning concrete standards, formats or tools.
• Claiming you used generic cloud storage without explaining preservation measures (checksums, backups, redundancy).
• Overlooking metadata and provenance as secondary concerns.
• Stating you 'just keep multiple copies' without describing verification or migration strategy.

Example answer

“At the municipal archive where I worked in São Paulo, I led a project to preserve 8 TB of digitized municipal records and some born-digital municipal correspondence. I created a workflow based on OAIS principles: files were ingested via a BagIt package, validated with SHA-256 checksums, and recorded in a preservation database. We captured descriptive metadata with Dublin Core and technical/preservation metadata with PREMIS and stored structural metadata in METS manifests. For images we preserved master TIFFs and created JPEG2000 access derivatives; for documents we preserved high-resolution TIFF and generated PDF/A for user access. Fixity was checked weekly using automated scripts and logs were kept for audits. To handle legacy WordPerfect and proprietary formats, we created migration plans using open-source converters and documented the decision rationale. The project secured long-term integrity for 95% of the priority collection and enabled a new online access portal used by researchers across Brazil. We implemented this within a modest budget by using open-source tools and partnering with a local university for storage redundancy.”

Introduction

Assistant archivists must protect materials' physical integrity while facilitating research. This behavioral question evaluates judgment, communication skills, knowledge of handling practices, and the ability to enforce or propose access restrictions — critical in Brazilian public archives where fragile historical documents and legal restrictions (privacy, cultural heritage laws) often apply.

How to answer

• Use the STAR method: describe the Situation, the Task you faced, the Actions you took, and the Results.
• Specify the item's condition and the access request (e.g., a researcher requesting originals for publication).
• Explain practical preservation steps you applied (conservation consultation, use of supports, gloves, supervision, producing surrogates) and any access policy you invoked.
• Mention how you communicated with the researcher — explaining reasons for restrictions and offering alternatives like high-quality digitized copies or supervised handling.
• Highlight collaboration with conservators, legal/curatorial staff, and any outcome metrics (preservation of the item, researcher satisfaction, continued access).

What not to say

• Saying you denied access without explanation or alternatives.
• Focusing only on rules without describing communication or empathy with researchers.
• Claiming to have handled fragile materials without mentioning conservation best practices.
• Taking sole credit for a team effort or ignoring institutional policy constraints.

Example answer

“While working at a state archive in Minas Gerais, a researcher requested the original minutes of a 19th-century council that were badly foxed and had loose pages. I consulted with our conservator, who recommended against unsupervised handling. I explained the conservation concerns to the researcher and offered a high-resolution digitized surrogate and supervised viewing of selected pages on a cradle with weights and polyester film supports. I also arranged for a conservation assessment and documented the item's condition in our database. The researcher accepted the surrogate for most of their work and visited under supervision for five critical pages. The original remained stable, the researcher completed their article with proper citations, and we avoided further damage. The experience reinforced the importance of clear communication and pragmatic solutions that balance access and preservation.”

Introduction

Many assistant archivists in Brazil and elsewhere handle private donations that raise provenance, legal, and ethical issues. This situational question tests your ability to assess donation suitability, perform due diligence, protect privacy, and design a processing and access plan consistent with institutional policies and Brazilian law (e.g., LGPD considerations).

How to answer

• Outline an initial appraisal process: review scope, content types, physical condition, and potential research value.
• Describe due diligence steps: verify donor's legal ownership, request deed of gift, assess provenance gaps, and check for culturally sensitive or restricted items.
• Address legal and ethical concerns explicitly: mention data protection (LGPD), privacy, copyright, and any necessary redaction or embargo periods.
• Explain processing and metadata capture: creating an accession record, arranging conservation, assigning identifiers, and capturing descriptive and rights metadata.
• Discuss access policy options: immediate open access, restricted access, embargoes, or closed records — and how you'd communicate these to the donor and potential researchers.
• Mention stakeholder consultation: involve legal counsel, senior archivist/curator, and possibly descendant communities if culturally sensitive material is present.
• Conclude with implementation steps and expected outcomes, prioritizing both access and legal/ethical compliance.

What not to say

• Accepting the donation immediately without verifying legal ownership or provenance.
• Ignoring privacy/data protection laws and ethical implications.
• Failing to involve institutional stakeholders or conservators for significant collections.
• Claiming blanket open access without considering redaction/embargo needs.

Example answer

“If a family in Rio de Janeiro offered a 250‑box archive containing correspondence, photographs, and financial records, I'd begin with an appraisal to gauge scope and research value. I'd request a deed of gift and documentation proving ownership. Early in the review I'd screen for sensitive personal data (medical records, bank details) and culturally sensitive material. Given Brazil's General Data Protection Law (LGPD), I'd consult our legal office to confirm compliance, and propose redaction or embargo periods where necessary. I'd also consult with senior archivists and, if relevant, descendant communities. For processing, I'd create an accession record with provenance notes, prioritize conservation for fragile items, and assign identifiers. My access plan would offer open access to non-sensitive materials, restrict items with personal data for a defined embargo (e.g., 50 years), and provide supervised access under agreement for researchers needing restricted items. I'd document all decisions in the accession file and communicate clearly with the donor about restrictions and future use. This approach protects individuals' privacy, preserves provenance, and enables future scholarly use while keeping the institution legally and ethically sound.”

Introduction

Many archives in Spain and Europe are undertaking large-scale digitisation to improve access (e.g., Europeana, Archivo General de Indias). This question evaluates technical knowledge of digitisation standards, metadata modelling, preservation workflows and practical project execution.

How to answer

• Start by summarising the scope: collection size, material types (paper, photographs, audio, audiovisual), and user needs.
• Explain the chosen digitisation standards and file formats (e.g., TIFF/PNG for master images, JPEG/MP3 for access copies) and how they support long-term preservation.
• Describe the metadata strategy: descriptive (Dublin Core, ISAD(G)), technical (PREMIS), administrative, and how you mapped local fields to a target schema or aggregator (e.g., Europeana EDM).
• Detail the end-to-end workflow: preparation (conservation assessment), scanning/ingestion, metadata creation, QA steps, storage (preservation vs access copies), backup and checksums.
• Discuss tools and systems used (scanners, OCR, DAM/ICA-complaint repository, checksum utilities) and any automation implemented.
• Quantify outcomes: throughput (items/day), reduction in physical handling, improvements in discoverability, cost/time metrics.
• Mention compliance and legal considerations relevant in Spain (e.g., data protection when personal data appears) and how you mitigated risks.

What not to say

• Giving only high-level statements without concrete standards, formats or measurable outcomes.
• Claiming universal one-size-fits-all approaches—digitisation choices must vary by material and use case.
• Ignoring metadata or preservation (focusing only on scanning images).
• Overlooking legal/privacy constraints, especially when personal data or culturally sensitive material is involved.

Example answer

“At the Archivo Histórico Nacional I led a pilot to digitise 12,000 parish registers (19th century). We selected a workflow using 600 dpi uncompressed TIFF masters and JPEG access derivatives. Descriptive metadata used a customized ISAD(G)-based form mapped to Dublin Core for harvesting; technical and preservation metadata followed PREMIS. We installed automated checksum generation and daily integrity checks. Quality control was two-stage: onsite technician QC and sampling by archivists for metadata accuracy. Throughput averaged 120 items/day with a 99.7% pass rate on image quality. We coordinated with the legal office to redact sensitive modern annotations before public release and prepared EDM mappings for future submission to Europeana.”

Introduction

Archivists must balance preservation, access, legal/privacy obligations and donor relationships. This situational question assesses ethical judgment, knowledge of conservation priorities, data protection (GDPR/Spain LOPDGDD), and communication skills.

How to answer

• Outline an initial triage: assess significance, condition, and urgent conservation needs; separate materials by priority and risk.
• Describe immediate stabilization steps for damaged items and how you'd involve conservation specialists for treatments.
• Explain how you would identify personal data and apply legal frameworks (GDPR/LOPDGDD) to determine access restrictions or necessary redactions.
• Discuss provenance and donor agreement review: check the deed of gift, any donor-imposed restrictions, and negotiate terms transparently when needed.
• Propose an access policy: restricted access periods, internal use only, anonymisation/redaction, or mediated access with supervision.
• Emphasise stakeholder communication: keep the donor informed, explain conservation needs and any recommended restrictions, and offer options (e.g., cleaned copies, digitised access with redaction).
• Include follow-up actions: documentation of decisions, conservation records, and review schedule for restrictions.

What not to say

• Prioritising donor convenience over legal/privacy obligations or preservation best practices.
• Making unilateral access decisions without consulting legal, conservation, or institutional policy.
• Underestimating the need to document decisions and treatments.
• Assuming all personal data must be destroyed or permanently restricted without exploring lawful bases or redaction options.

Example answer

“I would begin with an intake assessment to separate priority materials—those at immediate risk (mould, tears) get temporary stabilization and conservation triage. For the personal letters, I'd identify mentions of living individuals and consult GDPR/Spanish LOPDGDD and our institutional access policy. If the donor's deed of gift is vague, I'd contact them to clarify intent and explain the options: restricted access for a set period, redaction of identifying details before digitisation, or mediated access under supervision. I'd involve a conservator for treatment plans and document all actions in the accession record. To preserve donor relations, I'd offer to provide the donor with a digital copy of non-sensitive items and explain that restrictions protect both privacy and the collection's integrity. Finally, I'd schedule periodic reviews so restrictions can be reconsidered as circumstances change.”

Introduction

This assesses leadership, community engagement, project planning and cross-functional coordination. Crowdsourcing/transcription projects are increasingly used by archives (e.g., FamilySearch, municipal initiatives) to increase access and build public support.

How to answer

• Start with project goals: digitisation targets, transcription accuracy, timelines, audience and KPIs (completed pages, contributor retention, data quality).
• Describe team structure and roles: project manager, outreach/volunteer coordinator, technical lead for the platform (e.g., FromThePage, Zooniverse), QA/validation team and conservator adviser.
• Explain recruitment and training: outreach to local universities, genealogical societies, citizen science groups; provide training materials and clear transcription guidelines.
• Detail quality control and validation: double-keying, expert review samples, consensus algorithms, and workflows to integrate transcriptions into catalog records or finding aids.
• Discuss community engagement and incentives: events, recognition, progress dashboards, and partnerships with local cultural institutions (ayuntamiento, historical societies).
• Cover technical and legal aspects: platform selection, metadata standards, licensing (open data vs restricted), and GDPR considerations for transcribed personal data.
• Mention metrics and sustainability: how you'll measure success, iterate, secure ongoing funding, and integrate outputs into institutional systems (OPAC, institutional repository, Europeana).

What not to say

• Focusing only on the technical platform without considering volunteer management or quality assurance.
• Underestimating the effort required for outreach, training and sustaining volunteer interest.
• Ignoring data protection and rights management when transcribing personal data.
• Failing to define clear success metrics or integration plans for the outputs.

Example answer

“I'd define clear objectives: transcribe 50,000 index pages over three years with 95% accuracy in core fields. I'd form a small core team: a project lead (me) to manage timelines and stakeholders, a technical lead to set up a platform like FromThePage integrated with our repository, a volunteer coordinator to recruit and train contributors, and an archivist/QC lead to validate samples. We'd partner with the local ayuntamiento and university history departments to recruit volunteers and run workshops. Transcriptions would use controlled vocabularies and map to existing metadata schemas; sensitive personal data would be flagged for restricted access or redaction per GDPR guidance. Quality control would combine double-keying for critical fields and random expert review. Progress would be displayed on a public dashboard to maintain engagement. Funding would be pursued via cultural grants (Ministerio de Cultura) and local sponsorship, and final outputs would be ingested into our catalogue and prepared for harvesting to Europeana. This approach balances community engagement, technical rigour and legal compliance while building institutional capacity.”

Introduction

Senior archivists must balance preservation, access, legal/ethical obligations, and limited resources. Digitization projects are high-impact but risky: they require technical planning, metadata standards, stakeholder coordination, and awareness of South African data-privacy and access law.

How to answer

• Start with a high-level goal (preservation + increased access) and constraints (fragility, budget, staff skills, rights issues).
• Outline a phased approach: assessment (condition, rights, significance), pilot digitization, scale-up, quality control, metadata, storage, and access delivery.
• Specify technical standards and workflows: imaging specs, file formats (TIFF/DERIVED JPG/PNG, preservation masters), checksum and fixity checks, backup and replication strategy, and digital preservation plan.
• Address descriptive and rights metadata: apply ISAD(G) or local standards, use PREMIS for preservation metadata, record provenance, and capture rights statements; include how you'll handle restricted materials under POPIA/PAIA.
• Explain conservation-first measures: stabilisation, handling protocols, and when to use surrogate digitization vs. conservation treatment.
• Describe infrastructure and sustainability: repository choice (institutional vs. national), storage tiers, ingest workflows into an OAIS-aligned system, and long-term funding/maintenance plans.
• Include stakeholder engagement: researchers, community groups, donors, legal counsel, IT, and senior management; clarify access policies and user interfaces (open access, mediated access, or embargoed access).
• Quantify expected outcomes and KPIs where possible: number of items digitized, reduction in handling of originals, user access metrics, and preservation risk reduction.

What not to say

• Proposing immediate full-scale digitization without assessment or pilot.
• Ignoring legal/privacy constraints and saying everything will be made public without rights review.
• Overfocusing on scanners/equipment specs and neglecting metadata, workflows, and preservation.
• Claiming digital copies eliminate the need for physical conservation or long-term planning.

Example answer

“I would begin with a condition and rights assessment of a representative sample to identify fragile items and sensitive content. Phase 1 would be a 3-month pilot: stabilise items with minimal conservation, digitize 500 representative pages at 600 ppi TIFF master with embedded metadata, and trial ingest into the institutional repository. Metadata would follow ISAD(G) for description and PREMIS for preservation actions; rights statements would be captured and sensitive material flagged for restricted access per POPIA guidance and PAIA release rules. For access, I’d publish derived JPEG/IIIF manifests on the institutional discovery portal with restricted items available on request and mediated viewing. Technically, masters stored in a redundant preservation storage with checksum monitoring and offline backups, with an annual review budgeted for file migrations. KPIs: pilot digitization rate, number of restricted files identified, reduction in original handling events, and user access statistics. This phased, policy-driven approach ensures preservation, legal compliance, and sustained access within realistic resource limits.”

Introduction

Senior archivists often must manage limited resources while sustaining core services and protecting collections. This behavioral question assesses leadership, prioritisation, communication, and staff-support skills under pressure.

How to answer

• Use the STAR framework (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your response.
• Clearly describe the context: size of cut, which functions were affected, and immediate risks to collections or services.
• Explain how you assessed priorities (risk assessment, stakeholder needs, legal obligations) and what criteria you used to decide what continued, paused, or outsourced.
• Detail the actions you took to reallocate work, cross-train staff, seek temporary funding or partnerships, and communicate transparently with staff and stakeholders.
• Highlight how you maintained or improved morale: clear expectations, recognition, professional development opportunities, and involving staff in decision-making.
• Quantify the outcome where possible (services maintained, backlog reduced, funding found) and reflect on lessons learned.

What not to say

• Claiming you made unilateral decisions without consulting the team or stakeholders.
• Saying you cut services indiscriminately without assessing legal/ethical priorities.
• Focusing only on operational details and not addressing staff wellbeing or communication.
• Taking all the credit and failing to acknowledge team contributions.

Example answer

“When my archive at a South African tertiary institution faced a 20% operating cut, I first convened managers to map critical functions (preservation, legal access obligations, emergency response) and low-risk activities that could pause. We conducted a quick risk assessment to protect irreplaceable holdings and re-prioritised workflows—suspending non-urgent digitization but maintaining environmental monitoring and supervised reading-room services. I redeployed staff into cross-functional teams, arranged short internal secondments to cover vital tasks, and negotiated a partnership with a local heritage NGO to assist with indexing projects. I held weekly briefings, set clear short-term goals, and recognised team efforts publicly. Within six months we kept critical services running, reduced the backlog by 15% through targeted overtime and volunteer support, and secured a small grant to restore one key position. The experience reinforced the value of transparent leadership, staff involvement in prioritisation, and creative partnership-building.”

Introduction

Archives increasingly engage with communities requesting repatriation, restricted access, or co-curation. Senior archivists must navigate ethics, law, provenance research, and community consultation to reach equitable outcomes.

How to answer

• Start by acknowledging the complexity: legal obligations (PAIA/POPIA where relevant), institutional mission, and the cultural significance to the community.
• Describe a consultation-first approach: listen to the community’s concerns and desired outcomes before making decisions.
• Explain the steps: verify provenance and ownership, review acquisition documentation and donor agreements, assess legal constraints, and conduct a risk and impact analysis.
• Discuss potential outcomes and solutions: community access protocols, restricted or mediated access, digital repatriation, long-term loans, joint stewardship agreements, or formal repatriation if legally justified.
• Emphasise transparent documentation of the process, involving legal counsel, Indigenous or community liaison officers, and senior leadership.
• Highlight how you would balance precedent, institutional policy changes, and create a framework for future requests.

What not to say

• Dismissing the request as purely administrative or refusing to consult the community.
• Claiming immediate unilateral repatriation without provenance or legal review.
• Treating the issue only as a legal one and ignoring cultural or ethical dimensions.
• Saying you would defer entirely to donors without attempting negotiation or mediation.

Example answer

“I would begin by meeting with the community representatives to understand their concerns and desired outcomes—whether they seek full repatriation, restricted access, digitised copies, or co-curation. Concurrently, I’d perform provenance research and examine acquisition paperwork and donor conditions, and consult legal counsel about PAIA/POPIA implications. If ownership is clear and the archive has lawful custody, I would explore collaborative solutions first: establishing a community access protocol that permits mediated or on-site access, offering high-quality digitisation for community use, or a long-term loan arrangement. If repatriation is legally and ethically appropriate, I’d work through formal transfer procedures with transparent documentation. Throughout, I’d involve senior leadership, document decisions, and propose policy updates to make future requests more efficient. This approach respects legal duties while centering community agency and seeking sustainable, collaborative outcomes.”

Introduction

Lead archivists must ensure long-term access to digital and digitized materials while respecting legal, cultural and technical constraints. In Mexico, this often involves working with government regulations (e.g., Archivo General de la Nación), indigenous rights, multilingual materials and limited budgets.

How to answer

• Start with a brief description of the collection (size, formats, cultural sensitivity, legal constraints).
• Explain the preservation framework you chose (e.g., OAIS model) and why it fit the collection's needs.
• Describe practical steps: selection/prioritization, ingest workflows, metadata standards used (ISAD(G), EAD, Dublin Core, PREMIS), storage architecture, checksums, fixity, and backup strategy.
• Address access vs. preservation tradeoffs (restricted materials, indigenous community permissions, GDPR-equivalents or Mexican heritage law considerations).
• Discuss toolchain and technologies selected (open source vs commercial), and why—for example Archivematica for ingest and AtoM for access, or a repository integrated with Fedora/DSpace.
• Quantify outcomes where possible: reductions in risk, successful restorations, improved access metrics, or cost savings.
• Conclude with lessons learned and how you integrated sustainability (staff training, documentation, funding plan).

What not to say

• Describing only high-level goals without concrete technical steps or standards.
• Claiming a single tool will solve preservation without addressing workflows, metadata, and governance.
• Ignoring legal/cultural restrictions (e.g., indigenous protocols, intellectual property, Archivo General de la Nación rules).
• Omitting mention of data integrity measures (checksums, fixity) or disaster recovery.

Example answer

“At a state archive in Mexico, I led digital preservation for a 200,000-item photographic collection with digitized negatives and born-digital images. I adopted the OAIS model and used Archivematica for ingest, PREMIS for preservation metadata, and AtoM for descriptive access using ISAD(G) and Dublin Core mappings. We prioritized items by risk and cultural significance, applied checksums and regular fixity checks, and implemented a tiered storage plan (on-site mirrored storage plus encrypted cloud cold storage contracted through a Mexican provider). For culturally sensitive materials, we developed access protocols in consultation with local communities and the legal team to comply with national heritage laws. Within 18 months, we reduced file-format risk by migrating obsolete TIFF variants, established weekly fixity reporting, and improved researcher access times by 40%. Key lessons were the need for clear governance, ongoing staff training, and budgeting for migration cycles.”

Introduction

A Lead Archivist must manage people and change: reorganizations can improve discoverability and preservation but risk staff resistance and service disruption. This question assesses leadership, communication and practical planning skills.

How to answer

• Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure the answer.
• Clearly define the scope of the reorganization (collections affected, objectives such as improving access or consolidation).
• Explain how you assessed stakeholder needs and concerns (researchers, curators, government oversight bodies, indigenous groups).
• Detail change-management actions: communication plan, training programs, role redefinitions, phased implementation to maintain access, and fallback plans.
• Describe how you measured success (service uptime, staff competency, cataloging throughput, user satisfaction).
• Acknowledge challenges and how you mitigated them (budget limits, union/HR issues, technical downtime).

What not to say

• Focusing only on the organizational chart without discussing staff concerns or training.
• Claiming no objections or challenges—change always involves tradeoffs.
• Overstating personal credit without acknowledging team contributions.
• Failing to mention how researchers' access was preserved during the transition.

Example answer

“At a regional archive in Mexico City, I led a reorganization to centralize description standards and consolidate scattered municipal records. Situation: researchers faced inconsistent finding aids and limited hours. Task: align descriptive practices, improve remote access, and cross-train staff. Action: I formed a working group representing curators, technicians, and front-line staff; ran workshops on ISAD(G)/EAD and a shared cataloguing checklist; implemented a phased migration so one collection was migrated each month with parallel access on the legacy system for six months; and maintained weekly town-hall updates to gather feedback. I negotiated with HR for temporary hourly staff to cover public services during training. Result: within nine months we achieved 95% compliance with the new descriptive standard, reduced duplicate backlog by 60%, and user satisfaction surveys showed improved clarity in finding aids. The transparent communication and hands-on training were critical to staff buy-in.”

Introduction

This situational question evaluates judgment around acquisition, preservation triage, legal/provenance risk and community engagement—key responsibilities for a Lead Archivist managing culturally sensitive materials in Mexico.

How to answer

• First outline immediate triage steps: secure the materials, assess physical condition, create an accession record, and take basic environmental protections (stabilize temperature/humidity, use archival boxes).
• Discuss provenance assessment: review donor documentation, request provenance history, consult legal counsel on ownership and potential repatriation claims, and check national heritage registers.
• Explain consultation with stakeholders: contact relevant scholars, affected communities (including indigenous groups if applicable), and cultural authorities like the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (INAH) or Archivo General de la Nación.
• Describe conservation and cataloguing prioritization based on risk and research value; include options like digitization for access to fragile items and restricted access policies if provenance is unresolved.
• Address long-term disposition decisions: donor agreements, possible deaccessioning pathways, agreements for shared custody or repatriation, and documentation of all decisions.
• Mention how you would document the whole process for transparency and future audits.

What not to say

• Assuming ownership without proper provenance checks or legal consultation.
• Digitizing or displaying fragile items without conservation assessment.
• Ignoring claims by communities or failing to consult cultural authorities.
• Making irreversible decisions (e.g., deaccessioning or selling) without governance approval and documentation.

Example answer

“I would immediately secure and stabilize the manuscripts—move them to a controlled area, record an accession entry with photographs, and apply minimal handling protocols. I would perform a quick condition assessment and prioritize items for emergency conservation and high-resolution digitization to reduce handling. For provenance, I'd request all donor paperwork and any family history, run checks against national registers and colonial-era inventories, and consult our legal advisor about ownership and potential claims. Because these are colonial-era materials that could involve indigenous heritage or contested ownership, I'd contact INAH and relevant community representatives to inform them and invite input about access and disposition. Long-term, I'd convene an acquisitions committee to evaluate legal, ethical, and research considerations and propose options: retention with restricted access, joint stewardship, or repatriation if justified. Every step would be documented and communicated to stakeholders to ensure transparency and legal compliance.”

Introduction

As Head of Archives you'll be responsible for ensuring long-term access to both analog and born-digital materials. This question assesses your technical knowledge of digital preservation standards, your ability to prioritize limited resources, and your implementation planning skills.

How to answer

• Start with an overview: define the scope (collections, formats, expected growth) and objectives (access, authenticity, integrity).
• Describe assessment steps: survey existing holdings, environmental risks, current ingest and storage workflows, and staff skills gaps.
• Lay out a standards-based approach: mention OAIS model, METS/MODS, PREMIS for preservation metadata, checksums, and formats strategies (e.g., preferred preservation formats and migration policy).
• Explain infrastructure choices: short-term and long-term storage architecture (on-premises, cloud S3/Glacier, hybrid), replication, disaster recovery, and monitoring.
• Detail workflows and tools: selection of ingest tools (e.g., Archivematica), content management (e.g., AtoM, Islandora, or a DAM), fixity checking, virus scanning and format identification (DROID, JHOVE).
• Discuss staffing, training and documentation: roles for digital archivist, IT liaison, and a training plan to build capabilities.
• Address governance and policy: accessioning rules, retention, access levels, legal/rights considerations (copyright, HIPAA if relevant), and budget forecasts.
• Include a phased implementation plan with quick wins (e.g., prioritize high-risk collections), metrics for success (ingest rate, fixity pass rate, number of accessible items), and stakeholder communication.

What not to say

• Focusing only on tools or cloud vendors without discussing policies, workflows, and governance.
• Claiming a single tool solves preservation without processes (e.g., 'we'll just use cloud storage').
• Ignoring legal, access or rights issues specific to U.S. institutions (copyright, donor restrictions).
• Failing to address sustainability, costs for long-term storage, or staff training.

Example answer

“First, I'd scope the program by inventorying the collection and identifying high-risk born-digital materials and high-value analog formats. I'd adopt an OAIS-informed framework and use Archivematica for ingest plus a hybrid storage approach (local NAS for active preservation, encrypted cloud Glacier for deep archive) with at least two geographically separated replicas. Metadata would follow PREMIS for preservation events and METS/MODS for descriptive packaging, with file characterization via DROID and automated fixity checks. I'd phase the rollout: start with a pilot of our most at-risk born-digital project to demonstrate workflow, then scale. Parallel to technical implementation, I'd produce accessioning and retention policies, set up a regular training program for staff, and secure a multi-year budget that includes storage, annual audits, and format migration planning. Success metrics would include a working ingest pipeline, 100% fixity verification on new ingests, and public access to a pilot collection within 12 months.”

Introduction

Heads of Archives often must make difficult trade-offs during financial or organizational changes. This behavioral/leadership question evaluates your decision-making, stakeholder management, communication skills, and capacity to lead teams under stress.

How to answer

• Use the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) format to structure your response.
• Clearly explain the context: size of budget cut, timeline, and constraints.
• Describe how you assessed priorities: mission-critical services, legal obligations, high-risk collections, and user needs.
• Explain the decision-making process: how you engaged staff, governance bodies, and institutional leadership, including data you used to justify choices.
• Detail communication strategies: transparency with staff, regular updates, and communication with donors, researchers and university/museum leadership.
• Describe steps taken to support staff morale (reassignment, retraining, temporary measures) and any mitigation actions (grants, partnerships, phased reductions).
• Quantify outcomes where possible and reflect on lessons learned and improvements implemented afterward.

What not to say

• Claiming you made unilateral decisions without consultation.
• Focusing only on cuts without discussing mitigation, transparency, or staff well-being.
• Failing to provide concrete outcomes or learnings.
• Blaming leadership or external factors without showing accountability.

Example answer

“At a regional university archive facing a 15% operating cut, I first convened staff and the steering committee to map services and legal obligations. We used circulation, reference request and usage statistics to rank services by impact. I preserved legal and high-value preservation activities, paused lower-impact outreach programs, and negotiated temporary delays for nonessential travel and exhibitions. To protect staff, I redeployed two team members into grant-funded digitization projects and ran a short internal cross-training program. I communicated weekly town-hall updates to staff and monthly briefings to leadership and donors to maintain transparency. As a result, core access and preservation functions remained intact, morale stabilized after the first quarter, and we secured a foundation grant that restored one program line the following year. Key lessons were to prioritize early stakeholder engagement and maintain data-driven justifications for hard choices.”

Introduction

This motivational question explores your personal commitment to archival work and whether your values align with institutional goals such as access, scholarship, and public outreach—important for leading an archives in the U.S. cultural and regulatory environment.

How to answer

• Be specific about formative experiences that led you to archives (collections, mentorships, projects).
• Connect your motivation to professional responsibilities: preserving history, enabling scholarship, increasing equitable access, and stewarding donor trust.
• Explain how you would translate motivation into action: public programs, digital access strategies, partnerships with universities/museums (e.g., Library of Congress, Smithsonian collaborations), and diversity/inclusion initiatives.
• Address the U.S.-specific context: federal/state records policies, copyright considerations, grant funding landscape (NEH, IMLS), and community engagement expectations.
• Show long-term vision: how you would grow the archives' profile, measure impact, and mentor staff to align with institutional mission.

What not to say

• Giving vague answers like 'I love history' without linking to leadership and programmatic outcomes.
• Focusing only on prestige or career advancement.
• Neglecting to mention public access, legal/regulatory responsibilities, or community engagement.
• Overemphasizing technical aspects at the expense of outreach and stewardship.

Example answer

“I've always been driven by the belief that archives make citizenship and scholarship possible. Early in my career, helping researchers discover a family collection at a state historical society showed me how access transforms lives. As Head of Archives, I'm motivated to both protect primary materials and make them discoverable—through digitization, community-led collecting, and partnerships with institutions like the Library of Congress for training and grants. In the U.S., that means navigating copyright and FOIA considerations while pursuing NEH and IMLS funding to expand access. I would prioritize equitable access initiatives—oral histories from underrepresented communities—and build public programming that raises the archives' profile, increases use, and attracts donor support. I view mentorship as part of the role: developing staff so the archives can sustain impact beyond my tenure.”