I can't share your rosy picture of the profession. The default librarian is still the natural enemy of intelligent, creative nonconformists, surely? Having no subject expertise but knowing roughly where to find a mediocre non-answer to any question in a small library is such a depressing achievement. Sorry for the negativity, but I don't think the type I'm describing is a fantasy. It takes a certain mindset to be a "default librarian", and of course the subject of the linked article is quite different.

Also: http://lj.libraryjournal.com/blogs/annoyedlibrarian/2009/10/...

"There are plenty of very smart, passionate, and dedicated librarians out there, but there are also plenty who aren’t at all bright or competent. Anyone who’s worked in a library knows this. This has always been the case, because the MLS has always been a relatively easy degree to get."