The invention and widespread adoption of the printing press during the Renaissance was the main reason that information became so readily available. Before the printing press, all books had to be painstakingly copied by hand, which made them very expensive and rare. The printing press made it possible to mass-produce books, which dramatically reduced their cost and made them accessible to a much wider audience.
The printing press also made it possible to produce books in a variety of languages, which further increased the spread of knowledge. Before the printing press, most books were written in Latin, the language of the Catholic Church. With the printing press, books could be printed in the vernacular languages of different countries, which made them accessible to people who did not know Latin.
The printing press had a profound impact on society. It led to a rapid increase in literacy and the spread of knowledge, which in turn led to a number of important social, political, and religious changes.