In the past, I was a special librarian for a few years and very involved in SLA locally and nationally for while. I, and everyone I know, did more reference in the special librarian role than I do now in academia. You may watch to do more research before setting your path.
Also, it seems like more and more catalogers are taking on public roles as part of their responsibilities.
Brian C. Gray
Head of Reference & Engineering Librarian
Kelvin Smith Library
Case Western Reserve University
http://blog.case.edu/bcg8bcg8@case.edu