Duties
Job Purpose: Under direction of the Coordinator of Literacy and in collaboration with the Director of Literacy and Chief Academic Officer, the individual in this position is responsible for coordination of the K-8 Library Media Program. The K-8 Library Media Specialist’s primary responsibility will be to ensure appropriate library media programs K-8 and to support these programs in elementary and middle schools. Another important function of this job is working with media paraeducators to support their professional development, performance of job duties, and effectiveness in their role. This position serves as a member of the D300 Library Media Program team and reports directly to the Coordinator of Literacy.
Essential Job Duties and Responsibilities:
- In collaboration with the District Library Media Coordinator, maintain the collection at K-8 schools.
- Foster an environment where students are empowered to be critical thinkers, enthusiastic readers, skillful researchers, and ethical users of information.
- Enhance library media spaces to support innovation and exploration of new learning.
- Ensure equitable access to resources and information for all students.
- Working with the District Library Media Coordinator, oversee inventory, selection, and weeding.
- Provide expertise necessary to ensure school library programs are aligned with the mission, goals, and objectives of the District.
Organization, Evaluation, and Collection Development
- Makes resources available to students and teachers through a systematically developed collection within the school and through access to resources outside the school.
- Maintains a well-developed, appropriate, current collection that meets the needs of the students and teachers.
- Informs teachers, students, parents, and administrators of materials, equipment, and services that meet their information needs.
- Organize materials, resources and space to support learning.
- Coordinate the acquisition and circulation of library media materials.
- Work collaboratively with the learning community to develop and implement procedures and practices that make resources, facilities, and professional assistance available at the time of learning.
- In collaboration with the District Library Media Coordinator, ensures the continuous implementation of District processes for collection development and evaluation.
- Ensures that every student has intellectual access to information in all formats and a broad range of ideas in an atmosphere of free inquiry, ethical use, and confidentiality.
- Maintain current and comprehensive knowledge of the curriculum, of students’ needs, and of instructional and informational resources in the full range of formats and topic areas.
Instructional Support
- Assists students in identifying, locating, interpreting, and evaluating information housed in and outside the library media center.
- Creates an environment that is conducive to active and participatory learning, inquiry, resource-based instructional practices, and collaboration with teaching staff.
- Provides instruction in accessing, evaluating, and communicating information and the production of media.
- Model the effective and enthusiastic use of books, video, multimedia and other creative expressions of information and sources of pleasure and information
- Work collaboratively and individually to design, develop, and implement programs that encourage reading for enjoyment and for information.
- Guide and assist students and staff in the use of new media and technologies.
- Model and promote effective uses of technology for learning and teaching.
- Participate in on-going professional development.
- Maintain an understanding of current legislation and regulations regarding access, copyright, and other legal issues that affect the library media program.
- Demonstrate a commitment to the principles of the library profession regarding intellectual freedom, confidentiality, and other intellectual property concerns.
- Model ethical and responsible use of information and technology.
- Remain current on all issues, methods and tools for assessing library media programs.
- Other tasks assigned by the Coordinator of Literacy, Director of Literacy, and other members of the Central Office Academic Team.
Additional Notes
Applicants will be reviewed by position's hiring supervisor.