| Access (condition, state) | the availability of an archival entity for consultation as a result either or both of legal authorization and the existence of finding aids; access may also be affected by the physical state of the materials, or the need to conserve them |
| Archival material | documents, records, artifacts, or other materials deemed to have historical significance |
| Archives | a repository; any agency, including, but not limited to, archives, libraries, museums, and historical societies, which serves as the custodian of archival material |
| California Library Network | a statewide, multitype library network currently under development in California, which will establish a cooperative organization of libraries of all types working together, formally, to share resources and improve services. The statewide network will link Regional Library Networks, libraries, governmental entities, and information agencies of all types |
| Conservation (archival and library material) | the discipline dedicated to the physical stabilization and repair of every kind of archival and library material |
| Information agencies | institutions including archives, historical societies, libraries, museums, and others that provide information resources |
| Library | a place in which literary, musical, artistic, or reference materials (such as books, manuscripts, recordings, films and electronic information) are kept and accessed for use, but not for sale |
| PIC | Preservation Information Center |
| Preservation (archival and library material) | the prevention or delay of deterioration of and damage to archival and library material through appropriate environmental controls and/or treatment; preservation is a broader term than conservation |
| Region | one of five geographic regions in California identified by the California Library Networking Task Force for planning and establishing Regional Library Networks |
| Regional Library Network | when the California Library Network is established, five or more Regional Library Networks will be created which, together, will comprise the statewide network |
| Regional preservation group | the cooperating institutions within a geographic region; it may or may not conform to the boundaries of a Regional Library Network, but a Regional Library Network could encourage its formation. Examples of currently existing groups are: LAPNet, IELDRN |
| Repository | an archives service, a manuscript library, or any agency which operates as such, considered as the custodian of archival material |