In the absence of scholars in many Muslim countries, how is knowledge sought?

The Shaykh : We mentioned yesterday that one who relies on books to acquire knowledge errs more often than he is correct. Many Islamic countries do not have scholars to whom people turn for matters of their religion, so a group of young people who have only learned from books take it upon themselves to guide and teach them. What is obligatory for these young people?
It is obligatory for them to seek the truth out of necessity. This does not mean that a person cannot become a scholar who performs independent legal reasoning except through teachers. There are scholars who reached the pinnacle of knowledge without studying under teachers, but this is rare.