Job announcement — Librarian and Media Specialist (Dothan, AL)

Posted by Christopher Landbeck on

 

Librarian and Media Specialist

Houston Academy, Dothan, AL

Houston Academy is a premier independent, college preparatory school located in Dothan, AL.   Houston Academy is searching for a Librarian and Media Specialist (beginning in the 2015-­‐16 school year) to manage a PK-­‐12 library and media center. As a 1:1 MacBook school, Houston Academy provides a  unique opportunity for someone who wishes to work in a technology rich environment.

Mission Statement

The Houston Academy Librarian and Media Specialist mission is to ensure that students and staff are effective users of ideas and information. The Librarian and Media Specialist should seek to empower students to be avid critical thinkers, enthusiastic readers, skillful researchers, and ethical users of information. As a leader the school librarian creates an environment where collaboration and creative problem solving thrive.

Educational Requirements

The Librarian and Media Specialist should possess a minimum of a four-­‐year degree. A master’s degree and a degree in a relevant educational field are preferred.

Personal Qualifications

The Library and Media Specialist:

  • Is a leader who instills enthusiasm in others by making them feel that they are important members of a Strong leaders foster an environment of creativity, innovation, and openness to new ideas, welcoming and encouraging input from others to create consensus
  • Loves reading and developing library programming for children
  • Has a passion for educational technology and the latest trends and developments in the field
  • Is an enthusiastic, self-­‐motivated, lifelong learner
  • Possesses strong technology skills
  • Is an excellent teacher

Job Duties and Responsibilities

The Librarian and Media Specialist reports to the Upper School and Lower School Heads. Responsibilities include the following:

  • Collaborate with classroom teachers and specialists to design and implement lessons and units of instruction, with a particular eye towards technology integration
  • Provide the leadership and expertise necessary to ensure that the school library program is aligned with the mission, goals, and objectives of Houston Academy and that it is an integral component of the learning/instructional program
  • Represent the school at various regional, state, and national associations relative to the role of being the Librarian and Media Specialist
  • Maintain active memberships in professional associations
  • Demonstrate his or her role as a visible and active leader within the school community by serving on decision making teams in the school, taking an active role in school improvement and accreditation activities, and sharing expertise by presenting at faculty meetings and parent meetings
  • Encourage the use of instructional technology to engage students and to improve learning, providing 24/7 access to digital information resources for the entire learning community
  • Collect and analyzing data to improve instruction and to demonstrate correlations between the library program and student achievement
  • Remain current in professional practices and developments, information technologies, and educational research applicable to school library programs
  • Develop and advocate for school library programs by maintaining frequent and timely communication to stakeholders through the school website, e-­‐mail, and social media
  • Use local, state, national, and international school library data and research to engage support
  • Write articles and submitting regular reports providing evidence of what the library and school librarian do to prepare learners to be successful in the twenty-­‐first century
  • Maintain an effective public relations program
  • Work as an instructional partner with teachers and administrators to build and strengthen connections between student information and research needs, curricular content, learning outcomes, and information
  • Participate participating in the curriculum development process
  • Collaborate with teachers and students to design and teach engaging inquiry and learning experiences and assessments that incorporate multiple literacies and foster critical thinking
  • Join with teachers and others to plan and implement meaningful experiences that will promote a love of reading and lifelong learning; in particular, the Librarian and Media Specialist will read or provide adult readers to students in the Lower School on a regular basis
  • Deliver leadership and expertise in the selection, acquisition, evaluation, and organization of information resources and technologies in all formats
  • Provide for and update a policy on challenged materials in the library collection
  • Help provide guidance in software and hardware evaluation, and developing processes for such evaluation (in conjunction with the Director of Technology)
  • Set appropriate technology and media use policies (in conjunction with the Director of Technology)
  • Supervise and evaluating support staff, which may include assistants, volunteers, and student assistants
  • Prepare and administer the school library program budget
  • Perform other duties as assigned by the Headmaster
  • Support the school and its leadership

Salary will be commensurate with degree level and teaching experience.

Houston Academy is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools, the Southern Association of Independent Schools, and the Alabama Association of Independent Schools.

Houston Academy is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It strives to provide equal employment opportunity to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, handicap or disability in accordance with applicable federal and state laws. It is the intent and resolve of Houston Academy to comply with the letter and the spirit of  the law in the implementation of all facets of equal opportunity. This equal opportunity policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment including, but not limited to, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, compensation and training.

If interested in this position, please email your vitae, list of references, and a personal/educational statement to Dr. Scott Phillipps at phillippss@houstonacademy.com . For more information, please visit our website at www.houstonacademy.com and our Facebook page.