A study on information technology and public policy examined relationships among information providers and their clients in order to determine the economic, institutional, and technological factors that are key in deciding how people get the information they need. The research project was conducted to help the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science in three ways: to highlight costs and benefits of various allocations of information functions, to indicate the size and direction of forces, and to help libraries and information technicians evaluate their roles so that practical public policy alternatives and their consequences for the public can be better understood. Researchers found that the public reach of information services varies widely even within types of services. The scope of information resources is wide and well-supported by various governments. In the past 20 years, the size, activity, and cost of library and other information services have grown above the growth rates of basic indexes. Information services and libraries suffer from poor accounting practices, confused policies, rivalries, and limited scope of research and development. (CH)