In line with its mandate, the Committee held public hearings with the National Treasury, National Department of Arts and Culture and all nine Provincial Departments that receive the Community Library Conditional Grant during the 2nd of September 2009. The hearings were prompted by the under spending within those departments on the first quarter of the financial year 2009/10. All the provincial departments spent less than 15 per cent of the Community Library Services Grant. The strategic goal of this grant is to enable the South African society to gain access to knowledge and information that will improve their socio-economic situation.