Changing role of librarians in the digital age

Librarians must face new challenges in the digital age. The new roles are determined by three global trends: the reevaluation of the role of knowledge, the development in information infrastructure, and the demand for equal chances in library services. By assessing these trends it can be concluded that the librarians' profession is further differentiated along the necessary professional skills. The real divide is, however, caused by the for-profit tendency in information provision. For information specialists in the non-profit sector there are two roles that come into limelight: those of the social worker and of the information professional. One of the most important obstacle for the changed roles is the prestige deteriorating continuously, so its raise becomes a strategic task of the future.