Living abroad definitely influenced the direction I took when I went to graduate school and became a professional librarian. I wanted to focus on the study of Latin America, and it just happened that the Internet became a tool for doing that at about the time I started working as a professional librarian. The web made it easier for scholars and activists to communicate about their work in Latin America and to maintain solidarity networks in the U.S. and other parts of the world. It allows small organizations, research centers, and individuals to reach out directly to people with common interests. I still think that the net offers more space for alternative viewpoints than other media.
Librarians are traditionally information disseminators.
We collect data and make it available. I find the web extremely useful. But the sheer quantity and the impermanence of these documents makes it more difficult for a librarian or other researcher to have a permanent record. Don't just rely on the web. Get at least one good travel guidebook and read it cover to cover.