Public funding for libraries tends to be decreasing in many parts of the world. The idea that libraries and librarians are redundant because we can search for information online is false. Librarians are trained professionals who understand information needs of different groups as well as the nuances of research.

While the majority of people in large cities in developed countries use the Internet at home (over two-thirds of people in Australian cities) not everyone can access high speed Internet connection. There are socioeconomic differences that will inhibit some people from knowing where and how to seek out and extract high quality resources that meet their information needs. For example education makes it more likely that some groups will require assistance sorting through information.

Libraries are therefore an important community resource that help to make learning accessible to everyone.