Purpose: The Middle School Librarian at ESD is a faculty member who values the mission of the school and is committed to high-quality service and teaching within a student-centered learning environment. The successful candidate is a visionary educator who advances the library as the hub of thought leadership and values the intersection of information literacy, media literacy, and design/maker competencies. A middle school advisor and member of a grade-level team, the Middle School Librarian is also part of a collaborative, cross-functional team of librarians and edtech coaches serving the entire school working to inspire curiosity and creativity while nurturing a love of learning. The ideal candidate will embrace opportunities to co-instruct classes to support research, multimedia, and design skills and will be excited to provide regular programming for students. The Librarian uses knowledge to implement equitable and inclusive spaces and services that empower students to be enthusiastic readers, creative problem-solvers, and critical thinkers. This position partners with the Lower and Upper School Librarians, Director of Educational Technology, other EdTech staff, and classroom faculty.   

Essential Functions: 

• As a Faculty Member serving the Middle School, the librarian fulfills the following division-related responsibilities and activities:
• Serves as a Middle School advisor, liaising between parents and school in support of the advisee. 
  • Supervises advisory daily in chapel, lunch, and other assigned duties
  • Serves on a grade-level team, engaging in weekly meetings as well as assists in planning and supervising grade-level programming, activities, and field trips
  • Chaperone advisory on outdoor education overnight trips.
• Attends Middle School faculty meetings and supports the middle school division; and
• As a Learning and Teaching Leader, the librarian  helps create an environment where collaboration and creative problem solving thrive, aimed at anticipating future obstacles and opportunities and continually retooling to meet new challenges by
  • Advocating for the school library programs and the guiding principles of the profession through benchmarking, assessment, and innovation;
  • Sharing expertise by presenting at student, parent, and faculty meetings;
  • Demonstrating visionary thinking about how to use space to reposition the library as a hub of research and design; 
  • Creating dynamic library space that is responsive to students’ needs including zones for concentration, collaboration, performance, research, and design;
  • Maintaining a personal commitment to professional growth by remaining current in the fields of library and information science, education, and emerging technologies.
• As an Instructional Partner, the librarian collaborates with other librarians and Edtech coaches to create and maintain a meaningful and vital library program that motivates student learning in collaboration with classroom teachers by
  • Creating and updating relevant grade-level library, media literacy and digital literacy learning outcomes and curriculum in alignment with library standards;
  • Partnering with librarians and teaching colleagues to develop lessons that integrate information technology, design, and research skills into the curriculum in order to address learning outcomes;
  • Instructing and supporting students in the process of locating, interpreting, evaluating, and applying information in all formats;  
  • Serving as a resource for classroom teachers to show students what to DO with information;
  • Building students’ sense of excitement about literature and improving  reading skills; and
  • Planning and providing professional development opportunities within the school. 
• As an Information Specialist, the librarian provides leadership and expertise in the evaluation, acquisition, organization, and access of information resources and technologies in all formats, as well as the ethical use of information, by
  • Partnering in the development and implementation of the shared mission, vision, and policies of the ESD library program;
  • Works with vendors to identify and troubleshoot issues to improve user access 
  • Contributing to the library team by attending, participating in, and leading meetings;
  • Assisting all students, faculty, and staff with accessing and using the library’s resources;
  • Understanding and assisting others with their understanding and observance of copyright, fair use, and licensing of intellectual property;
  • Assisting in the development and maintenance of the library’s web and educational social media presence;
  • Developing innovative and creative displays and programs that promote the library’s resources and services to the ESD community;
  • Organizing the collection for maximum and effective use and conducting ongoing collection development and analysis in order to improve the quality, depth, and breadth of the collection;
  • Monitoring and controlling spending, utilizing resources appropriately, demonstrating good business practices, and safeguarding the School’s resources in accordance with guidelines set up by the Chief Financial Officer; and
  • Assisting with management of volunteers as needed.
• As a Middle School and Library representative on various decision-making school committees. 

Abuse Risk Management Standards:

• Adheres to policies related to boundaries with students. 
• Attends required abuse risk management training.
• Adheres to procedures related to managing high-risk activities and supervising students.
• Reports suspicious and inappropriate behaviors.
• Follows mandated abuse reporting requirements. 

Working Environment: 

• Occasional lifting, carrying, pushing, and/or pulling. 
• Generally 40% sitting, 40% walking and 20% standing. 
• Minimal temperature variations (regular exposure to outside temperatures)
• Off-site travel to include rustic environments and occasional overnight trips.
• Generally hazard free environment. 

• A master’s degree from an American Library Association accredited program
• Adherence to ALA and AASL best practices and professional standards for librarians
• Experience working in a library or related environment
• Experience with integrated library systems, collection development and analysis, and teaching in a library environment
• Experience with needs and collection assessment, the design process, and using information to solve problems
• A broad-based reader with a timely and proficient knowledge of middle grade and young adult literature and resources appropriate to students’ needs and interests
• Knowledge of child development to impact literacy, research, and thinking
• Creativity and knowledge about how to engage students, encourage reading, and promote library resources and its services
• Ability to foster a positive working environment and model the School’s values through daily actions and behaviors
• Demonstrated skill with innovative, effective, and developmentally appropriate applications of educational technology
• Strong communication, interpersonal skills, and leadership qualities supported by a sense of humor 
• Ability to work collegially and collaboratively with people of diverse backgrounds
• Demonstrated life-long learning within a digital environment

About The Episcopal School of Dallas

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