Some people argue that public libraries are no longer necessary because of the internet, and that governments should stop funding them. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

As information becomes increasingly available online, some people claim that public libraries have outlived their purpose and no longer deserve government funding. I strongly disagree with this view. Although the way people use libraries has changed, these institutions still perform social and educational functions that the internet cannot replace. Admittedly, the internet has taken over some traditional roles of the library. Facts that once required an encyclopaedia can now be found in seconds, and millions of books can be downloaded instantly. If libraries were merely storehouses of information, the argument for closing them would be convincing. However, this argument overlooks what modern libraries actually do. First, they guarantee equal access to knowledge. Not everyone can afford a reliable internet connection or a quiet place to study; for children from disadvantaged families, the local library may be the only place where they can do homework, use a computer or receive help from a trained librarian. Closing libraries would therefore widen the gap between rich and poor precisely when education matters most. Second, libraries have evolved into community centres that offer far more than books. They run reading clubs for children, computer classes for the elderly and language courses for immigrants, bringing together people who would otherwise rarely meet. In an era when loneliness is recognised as a serious social problem, such shared public spaces are becoming more valuable, not less. Finally, librarians teach a skill the internet itself has made essential: judging which sources can be trusted. At a time when false information spreads rapidly online, guidance in evaluating what we read is arguably more important than access to the information itself. In conclusion, governments should continue to fund public libraries, not out of nostalgia, but because they promote equality, strengthen communities and help citizens navigate the digital world wisely.