MLS FREE Master of Library & Information Science for Competitive Questions and Answers 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which classification system uses a combination of letters and numbers to organize materials by subject in academic libraries?
- Library of Congress Classification (Correct answer)
- Dewey Decimal Classification
- Universal Decimal Classification
- Bliss Bibliographic Classification
Correct answer: Library of Congress Classification
The Library of Congress Classification (LCC) uses a combination of letters and numbers to arrange materials by subject and is widely used in academic and research libraries.
Question 2: What does the term 'controlled vocabulary' refer to in information science?
- A standardized set of terms used for indexing and retrieval (Correct answer)
- A list of banned words in library catalogs
- A vocabulary test for library patrons
- A glossary included in reference books
Correct answer: A standardized set of terms used for indexing and retrieval
A controlled vocabulary is a carefully selected list of standardized terms used to ensure consistency in indexing, cataloging, and information retrieval.
Question 3: Which federal law governs the privacy of library patron records in the United States?
- USA PATRIOT Act provisions and state confidentiality laws (Correct answer)
- FERPA
- HIPAA
- COPPA
Correct answer: USA PATRIOT Act provisions and state confidentiality laws
Library patron privacy is protected primarily by state confidentiality statutes, though the USA PATRIOT Act introduced provisions allowing federal access to library records under specific circumstances.
Question 4: What is the primary purpose of a library's collection development policy?
- To guide the systematic selection, acquisition, and withdrawal of materials (Correct answer)
- To set borrowing limits for patrons
- To determine staff scheduling procedures
- To establish building maintenance protocols
Correct answer: To guide the systematic selection, acquisition, and withdrawal of materials
A collection development policy provides a framework for selecting, acquiring, maintaining, and deselecting library materials to meet community or institutional needs.
Question 5: In information retrieval, what does 'precision' measure?
- The proportion of retrieved documents that are relevant (Correct answer)
- The proportion of relevant documents that are retrieved
- The total number of documents in the database
- The speed at which search results are returned
Correct answer: The proportion of retrieved documents that are relevant
Precision measures the fraction of retrieved documents that are actually relevant to the user's query, indicating the accuracy of search results.
Question 6: Which metadata standard is most commonly used for describing digital resources on the web?
- Dublin Core (Correct answer)
- MARC 21
- EAD
- MODS
Correct answer: Dublin Core
Dublin Core is a widely adopted metadata standard consisting of 15 core elements designed for simple and effective description of digital resources across the web.
