The article identifies as an objective of information science – since BUSH – to remedy the informational explosion through the retrieval of available information; argues that although the field has been questioning the meaningfulness of this information, it still places little emphasis on the processes (such as intellectual property) that predetermine the information available in a system. It suggests that the conception of informational ecology (SARACEVIC) can be relevant to restate the issue of access to knowledge, but with reservations; and that, in that sense, informational environmentalism (BOYLE) and studies on intellectual commons are important research pathways.