Kindergarten – 8th Grade Librarian

Mission Statement: St. Paul’s prepares students to be confident and skilled learners, cultivates in them a strong sense of purpose, and inspires them to be generous and active citizens of the world.

St. Paul’s Episcopal School, located across from Lake Merritt in Oakland, enrolls approximately 380 students from diverse backgrounds in Kindergarten – Grade 8. St. Paul’s provides an education that is intellectually challenging, culturally pluralistic, and morally and spiritually enriching. Caring, committed faculty members, in partnership with parents, serve as role models, mentors and guides. St. Paul’s has an academically talented and ethnically diverse student body and seeks the same in its faculty.

Position Summary
This K-8 Head Librarian position will support both the K-5 students at the Lower School and the 6th-8th grade students in the Middle School. The ideal candidate is an experienced and dynamic Librarian that has experience integrating thematic units across the K-8 curriculum and has a demonstrated commitment to culturally inclusive and responsive teaching practices. This Librarian will work closely with the administration and grade level teaching teams throughout the divisions to help design, plan, and implement grade-specific curriculum that is aligned with the scope of the overall K-8 program. This individual will be committed to continuing to develop their craft with a growth mindset, be adept at communicating effectively with both children and adults, and will foster a developmentally appropriate cooperative learning environment for their students.

Based on the needs of the program, we look forward to further shaping and developing our library program.

Currently, the K-5 academic curriculum includes the following programs – Bridges Math, Units of Study in Reading and Writing Workshop from Teachers College, and Responsive Classroom. The students are supported by Specialists in science, physical education, music, Spanish, and library.

Additional responsibilities will include coverage for recesses, arrival/dismissal, lunch duty (or equivalent), participation in committee work, and active engagement in our community-wide diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) work.

Job Responsibilities:
-Plan cooperatively with grade level teachers to incorporate information and print resources into classroom curriculum
-Provide Digital Literacy lessons and ongoing education around Media/Digital Literacy
-Inform teachers, students and administrators of new materials, equipment, and services that meet their information needs
-Oversee purchase books for the library (this includes managing and supporting both student and teacher requests)
-Oversee book cataloging and processing
-Design and implement regular in-class library classes (K-5)
-Provide opportunities for faculty to request materials for purchase, which support curriculum and learning
-Participate in grade level, department, and school curriculum development
-Model the effective and enthusiastic use of books, videos, multimedia, and other creative expressions of information as sources of knowledge, pleasure, and information
-Attend and participate in professional activities, conferences, and committees
-Design, develop, and implement programs that encourage reading for enjoyment and for information
-Train and supervise volunteers (including parent volunteers)
-Oversee library equipment loans
-Work with students and faculty to help them use the library and its resources, including obtaining access to information
-Select and maintain a collection that is diverse in format and content to support the learning needs of students
-Participate in short-term and long-range planning for the department, including budget development, and management
-Maintain a library environment that is attractive, inviting, and conducive to learning
-Develop promotional events and displays for the library (such as the Book Fair in September)
-Model ethical and responsible use of information and information technology
-Keep the materials in good condition, repairing and replacing individual items as needed
-Inventory the collection on a yearly basis
-Build relationships with students to spark their love of reading
-Collaborate with faculty and technology coordinators to provide cross-disciplinary, hands-on, student oriented learning experiences
-Facilitate student groups as needed (e.g., affinity groups, advisory)

Qualifications
-Master’s degree in Library Science or related field from a program accredited by the American Library Association
-Minimum of 2-3 years of professional experience as a Librarian preferred
-Successful experience working with young people in a related capacity
-Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging
-Interest in and passion for working with young people
-Collaborative and generative
-Curious and flexible in navigating the changing landscape of future-focused education

This is a 1.0 FTE. Salary range for this position is $86,500 to $92,000, depending on education and experience. Interested candidates should submit a cover letter, resume, and references to Nayo Brooks, Director of Lower School. Please send materials electronically, in PDF format to Ryan Louie: rlouie@spes.org. The start date is August 16, 2023.

St. Paul’s is an equal employment opportunity employer. All employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, sex, gender identity, age, disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. St. Paul’s is dedicated to ensuring the fulfillment of this policy with respect to hiring, placement, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, recruitment advertising, pay and other forms of compensation, training, and other terms and conditions of employment.