Libraries can be seen as the original portal to a wider world of cultural, informational and recreational resources.  Libraries exist to serve their primary customer base. With academic institutions this will include students as well as staff and will serve both their educational and applied research requirements. Other libraries may have more specific target groups, such as health care workers or company employees, whereas public libraries set out to be as inclusive as possible. Users of one library are linked to the resources of others through a series of world-wide inter-library loan protocols. ICT developments have facilitated and improved access to the holdings of many libraries.