This paper discusses access to scientific and technical information in Asia. The first section considers the economic crisis, including the growth in information service as a major indicator of the success or failure of the economies of developing countries. Libraries' response to the economic crisis is addressed in the second section, including cancellation of journal titles and copyright issues. The following challenges to access are summarized in the third section: (1) uneven distribution of wealth in the area: (2) the role of cultural issues; (3) problems posed by lack of organized access; (4) lack of technological sophistication; (5) view of copyright as denial of access; and (6) lack of a critical mass of professionals. The appendix notes recent development of systems to access scientific and technical information in Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. (MES)