Upper School Head Librarian
Position Title: Upper School Head Librarian
Position Classification: Full-time, 10-month, faculty, salaried exempt
Hours: 7:45 a.m.-4:00 p.m. with additional hours as needed to fulfill after school coaching/activity responsibilities as assigned
Reports to: Head of Upper School
Position Summary: St. Christopher's School, the largest all-boys school in Virginia and one of the largest and oldest boys' schools in the Mid-Atlantic region, seeks a Head Librarian for our Upper School for the 2023-24 school year.
Serving approximately 1000 boys in Grades JK-12 in Richmond, Virginia, St. Christopher's School is committed to cultivating a school community that is diverse, inclusive, and welcoming, and prides itself on bringing out the best in every boy. Our Episcopal foundation is at the center of what we do, and we care most about developing young men who possess honor and integrity. Our boys benefit from an education and curriculum that is focused on excellence in all forms, including academics, the arts, athletics, and service learning.
The ideal candidate is a dynamic and collaborative educator who can help students and faculty achieve the School's academic mission through the various functions, services, and opportunities provided through its Memorial Library.
Principal Responsibilities:
- Develops and executes a plan for realizing the vision for the Upper School Library.
- Advocates for and provides a welcoming space for inquiry, collaboration, and study in the Upper School community.
- Provides comprehensive reference services to students and faculty.
- Effectively engages with and develops relationships with students to support their learning needs and goals.
- Works collaboratively with faculty to design and implement instructional plans that enhance research and analysis skills, remaining flexible and open to changes in curriculum.
- Systematically examines the Upper School Memorial Library sources, services, and instruction.
- Strategically invests, develops, organizes, and maintains print and digital collections that extend classroom learning.
- Manages a robust infrastructure of digital library platforms.
- Provides training to students and faculty on digital platforms to ensure equitable access.
- Actively seeks to improve digital resource access for students and faculty on campus and at home through authentication and ease of use, including conducting observations and usability studies.
- Manages the duties and collaborates with the US Librarian to realize the vision and supporting goals for the US library.
- Cultivates partnerships with lower and middle school divisions and St. Catherine's for resource sharing and to ensure continuity and effectiveness of K-12 research and analysis skills.
- Actively builds relationships with vendors and St. Catherine's to best employ all library and school resources.
- Nurtures an ongoing relationship with collegiate academic librarians to manage the student academic transition from high school to college.
Additional Faculty Responsibilities:
- Communicates and interacts with library faculty and staff from across the school in an appropriate and effective professional manner.
- Serves as an Upper School Department Chair.
- Stays abreast of and implements best practices for teaching boys, as appropriate.
- Communicates in a timely and efficient manner with parents, as appropriate.
- Serves as an advisor (six to eight students) at the discretion of the Dean of Students, Associate Head of Upper School, and Head of the Upper School.
- Coaches or leads a significant co-curricular activity.
- Offers or assists with an X Term cohort (experiential learning program).
- Executes other duties (study halls, chaperoning dances, etc.) as assigned.
- Participates in the life of the school through committee work and being a regular presence at major school events such as concerts, plays, athletic contests, and other events.
Candidates must
- Hold an MLIS or MLS from an ALA accredited program.
- Be experienced with library management systems and discovery services.
- Be curious and capable in developing and implementing cross-platform digital and print library resources in accordance to user experience best practices.
- Possess a love for reading and be able to engage boys in pursuing a lifelong love of reading.
- Commit to best practices in education, as articulated in the School's Teaching Excellence Document, and a dedication to best practices for boys, as espoused by the St. Christopher's Center for the Study of Boys.
- Demonstrate a clear commitment to diversity, community, and inclusion in school communities, as expressed in the St. Christopher's Diversity and Inclusion Statement.
Candidates should
- Possess excellent problem solving, communication, analytic, and customer service skills.
- Have a growth mindset, be creative and flexible, and demonstrate a sense of humor.
- Have a focus on collaborating effectively with members of the Upper School faculty to achieve their class and departmental goals.
- Enjoy working with young people, especially boys.