They also think of useful things clients wouldn't think of themselves. For example, one librarian said whenever she receives a request for all of an author's technical papers she asks whether the client wants the author's patents as well. No wonder clients often become attached to a librarian who can personalize their searches. Once librarians have a client history, they can aim the search spotlight exactly where the client wants it, without a second round of questions. An invaluable service only a librarian could perform, particularly for clients in business or government, is to find and broker the release of proprietary material.
Librarians are both discreet and nosy.
In corporations and government departments, librarians make it their job to know what their colleagues are up to. When it comes to distributing proprietary material, they can often put the right people in touch, then let them decide if they want to share secrets. Not having to slog through these is a blessing for busy people trying to compete in today's business climate. But perhaps the most valuable service librarians perform is to act as guides to the information riches in cyberspace. Librarians were among the earliest computer users, even creating some of the first international standards for databases so that bibliographic data could be transferred around the world.