This paper highlights some implications of living in an Information Age and discusses ways in which information is changing the economics of our society, as well as how the economics of information are also changing. The driving force behind the Information Age--technology--is presented in terms of its impact on information access. Noting that two areas threaten the public's right of access to information--electronic information's transitory quality, and the existence of several policy issues that limit access to governmental information--the paper argues that the dissemination role of libraries, publishers, and the information industry over the next decade will be a determining factor in the public's access to government information. The issue of how technology is changing the nature of private copyright protection is also raised. Six ways in which future Information Age policymakers can address the issues involved in protecting access to information are suggested, and the library community is advised that it must play a key role in shaping these policies if basic democratic freedoms are to be preserved. (MAB)