In recent years, libraries of all types have found it necessary to compete for both money and clients as major changes have occurred. Corporate librarians have realized that they must show management why they are useful and how they contribute to the bottom line.
Public libraries face stiff competition for funding.
Additionally, the Internet brings a whole new dimension of competition that public, academic, and corporate libraries are facing daily. Whereas budget problems have been around for some time, the recent competition from the Internet can translate into fewer users, despite the fact that the Internet is also a crucial tool used by librarians for research and marketing. She says that both students and faculty are seeing less value in the library infrastructure, and this is creating a need for more proactive strategic planning and marketing to keep libraries from being discounted even more. Ward also explains that academic libraries sometimes create planning documents that are updated periodically. She contends, however, that not many even do this.