The role of today's librarian

"I need a book on President Kennedy"  Go look in the card catalog.  "I want to read Harry Potter...who wrote that?"  Go look in the card catalog.  "I want a book about dinosaurs."  Go look in the card catalog.  What?  There is no card catalog?  Can you imagine a librarian from 50 years ago being dropped into a library of today?  Talk about culture shock! 
The role of librarian has changed so drastically in just the last 10 years.  I use 10 years because I worked in a library 10 years ago.  It was a small elementary school library.  In 1990 this library had begun ordering books from Follett, with book records accompanying the book order.  They were slowly importing data from books already on the shelves.  With little training I was plunked into the middle of this process.   I look back now & wince at some of the obvious errors I made while entering information.
Today, you cannot find card catalogs in libraries.  You could just replace, "Go look on the computer," today.  Librarian roles have changed in so many ways--the source of information being a major one.  With computer access virtually anyone can "look up" information.  From locating books on the shelf, to reading that book online, to finding an author, to research, to...well, you get the idea. 
I find this change very exciting.  I think technology gives students the power to go places and see things they could never see using just books.  Don't get me wrong...I LOVE BOOKS!!  I don't know if books will eventually be replaced by Kindles, etc., but for me books are therapy.
There are so many offerings for students-- to interact as they learn.  Many people Facebook, have Wikis, play online games, or have a Second Life or Delicious account.  My personal Delicious account has ideas I can use as I begin my library career.  I will admit that I'm not terribly familiar with Delicious yet, but as I've said in past blogs, I plan to learn all I can from this technology and implement it into my library.  My three listings would take students so far beyond just reading a book.  I think my tags are the subject headings of the past.  Some "subject headings" of today, were not even thought of 10 years ago.  The internet has brought blogging, mashups and flickr to our world....and I like it!!
Yes, the role of a librarian has changed...but our basic love of learning has not changed.  My role is to empower students or patrons to be a part of a world they may never see in person, but can take part in either through books or technology.