There is a continuing need to maximize the public interest in a market economy. This does build on what you have been. If you fail to do that, the free or fee debate becomes irrelevant. Some Thoughts on Librarians Librarians occupy an uncommon occupational niche, in that their role has traditionally been defined by the place in which they work. This is a keen community who value their roles in society and have made some progress toward that destination.
Librarians have generic navigational skills that are easily applicable to a knowledge-based economy.
The librarian should be well-positioned to take a leadership role. The natural channels of communication for librarians seem to be almost exclusively to their employers, and to members of their own species. No sector of society has boxed itself into a condominium Tower of Babel with as many introspective organizations as libraries. We perceive an inability to translate those marvelous generic skills into the larger change environment. We perceive an excessive focus on where the money will come from.