National bibliographic services are offered free of charge in many countries as a public good. The business case being founded on the stimulation free access to information gives to the educational, cultural and economic life of the nation. Other libraries and national agencies may obtain economic benefit by reusing bibliographic data produced for the national bibliography. The cost is usually underwritten by the national government.

Increasingly Government policy may determine that information paid for from public funds should be offered to the nation under open licensing and free of charge. Funding may be also be attracted from different government departments or agencies, such as education, culture, trade and innovation.