Library Media Specialist at Ridgeview Elementary

Job Description

Position:
Library Media Specialist
Status:
Certified - Contract

FTE: 1.0

The mission of the school library program is to empower all members of the learning community to become critical thinkers, enthusiastic readers, skillful researchers, curators, and ethical users of information. The library media specialist supports the educational philosophy and objectives of the school district by participating in five key roles: leader, teacher, instructional partner, information specialist, and program administrator.

Educational Requirements:

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor's degree and valid State of Kansas teaching certificate.

State certification as a school library media specialist.

Preferred Qualifications

Master of Library Science degree, Master of Educational Technology degree or comparable degree from a program recognized by appropriate bodies such as the American Library Association, American Association of School Librarians, or state education agencies.

Reports to

The library media specialist reports to the building principal for all building concerns and to the district library coordinator for district concerns.

Duties and Responsibilities

Leader

• Actively serves on teams and committees to further the mission of the school, including serving in leadership roles.
• Supports the school improvement plan.

• Helps plan whole-school professional development efforts, especially those focused on improving reading, writing, research, and the integration of technology.
• Provides professional development for the faculty in such areas as new information technologies and information literacy.
• Offers expertise on committees for policy development for academic integrity, documentation, and information and technology use policies.
• Serves on curriculum revision committees for content areas, including providing input for adoption of curricular resources.
• Provides instruction, models behaviors for and provides in depth information for copyright guidelines and ethical use of information.
• Nurtures and grows professional relationships through committee work with local, state, and national organizations.

Teacher

• Promotes reading as a foundational skill for learning, personal growth, and enjoyment.
• Supports educational and program curriculum and standards as defined by local, state, and national associations.
• Provides instruction that addresses multiple literacies, including information literacy, media literacy, visual literacy and technology literacy.
• Implements quality instruction and collaboratively creates authentic learning experiences.
• Uses differentiated strategies with respect to reading ability, personal interests, and prior knowledge to engage learners in reading and inquiry.
• Supports learners' success by guiding them to read for understanding, breadth, and pleasure.
• Fosters exploration, discovery, creation, and innovation in a growth mindset within a global society.
• Models inquiry-based approaches to learning and the information search process.
• Consistently assesses student learning to ensure program is meeting its goals.
• Assumes a leadership role in promoting the principles of intellectual freedom and exposes students to a broad range of ideas and resources.
• Empowers learners to work with each other in successful collaborations and to constructively assess their own work and the work of their peers.
• Helps students develop attitudes, habits, and skills that promote lifelong learning and library use.
  
  Instructional Partner

Collaborates with classroom teachers to develop assignments that are matched to academic standards and
include key critical thinking skills, technology and information literacy skills, and core social skills and cultural competencies.

• Guides instructional design by working with classroom teachers to establish learning objectives and goals, and by implementing assessment strategies before, during, and after assigned units of study.
• Assists teachers in identifying and accessing materials to support content-area instruction.
• Consults with teachers about students' unique instructional and learning needs.

Provides leadership in the integration of technology into all areas of the curriculum and instructional practices.

Supports the continuing educational research of faculty and administrators.

Information Specialist

Champions equity, access, and intellectual freedom for users within the physical space and beyond, including providing 24/7 access to the online library catalog, digital and audio books, and various information resources.

Understands the role of technology in instruction, student learning, and professional development.
Organizes, retrieves, and disseminates or circulates resources to support learning community needs.

Promotes effective use of information resources and services.

Ensures intellectual and physical access to materials in a variety of formats for all learners.

Promotes use of school information services and programs for independent reading, listening and viewing.

Promotes awareness of information resources beyond the…