Washington, D.C.
West Newton, Massachusetts
Posted: 08-Dec-24
Location: La Canada, California
Type: Full Time
Salary: $95-110K, 5-12 yrs experience
Categories:
Required Education:
Head Librarian, 2025-26
At Flintridge Preparatory School, we believe middle and high school should be a time of healthy, joyful growth. That’s why we approach every experience and relationship with curiosity and wonder. Here students, staff, and faculty have the space to push to new heights and the support to navigate life’s challenges—because when we truly connect with ourselves and others, we learn to lead with sensitivity and integrity, which is the best prep possible for the road ahead.
Mission
Learning with purpose in a diverse and nurturing community, Flintridge Prep students thrive in adolescence and grow as curious scholars, creative thinkers, empathetic leaders, and global citizens.
Vision
Lead with curiosity, compassion, and courage to transform our world.
The Opportunity
This is a full-time position that reports to the Associate Head of School, beginning on July 1, 2025. The ideal candidate will delight in being part of a community that appreciates an array of vibrant ideas and viewpoints and wants to nurture and celebrate students through adolescence.
As Flintridge Prep prepares to open a fully renovated Chandramohan Library and Learning Commons in 2025, we seek a Head Librarian who will engage dynamically with students and colleagues and make the library a center for curiosity, communication, and inquiry in every way. This is the perfect opportunity for an innovative, creative, experienced, and visionary educator who wants to fundamentally shape the culture of a new space - which includes 9,000+ books, multiple study nooks, a quiet study “den,” a performance space, an art gallery, a storytelling center, and more.
Key competencies include attention to detail, superb verbal and written communication skills, exceptional interpersonal and collaborative skills, and deep and compassionate capacity in strategic planning, problem solving, critical thinking, decision making, and management. The ideal candidate will be thoroughly proactive and adaptable, inspiring faculty and students alike with the skills and curiosity needed to understand information in an ever-evolving world. These skills should include a deep understanding of how educational technology, including AI, can enhance learning.
If you’ve been wondering “What’s the next invigorating step in my library career?”, this position might be for you!
MAJOR FUNCTIONS & RESPONSIBILITIES
Duties and expectations include but are not limited to:
Igniting Student Inquiry and Curiosity
- Be proactive by regularly circulating throughout the library space to connect and talk with students. This involves standing more than sitting, being out and about constantly. Ideally, such conversations will both build relationships and lead to more understanding about the academic life of the school and how the library can help with student research, communication, curiosity and inquiry.
- Collaborate and co-teach with teachers through faculty requests for research help and other engagement with their classes. Encourage faculty to use the library as their classroom whenever possible. Serve as a thought leader for research on campus.
- Organize and host events, such as book clubs, author visits, and community events that create a vibrant library culture. Collaborate with English and other departments on the school’s annual PrepReads selection.
- Act as a collaborative resource and leader in the use of educational technology to support student and faculty learning and engagement.
- Stay up to date on relevant library and technology trends in education through membership in relevant professional groups, attendance and presentations at professional growth events, and research
- Be ready to take on tasks that arise, even if not listed on this job description, especially as they relate to the thriving of the renovated library space.
Library Circulation, Maintenance, Space & Displays
- Maintain, develops, assesses and inventories the school’s library collection, library policies, and library media program to ensure they are aligned with School goals and best practices in inclusive education and librarianship
- Understand the school’s curricular and cocurricular life to develop a collection that coordinates with long-term teaching goals as well as current and emerging needs.
- Supervise the textbook process during the school year and in August, leading up to Book Day.
- Catalog and process books
- Circulate and process return of library materials for students
- Send notices to students and faculty for coming due and overdue books
- Create and curate displays
- Maintain current book collection
- Order and maintain supplies
- Troubleshoot printers and copiers, as needed
Collaboration with Students, Faculty, Staff, and Parents/Guardians
- Lead an advisory group
- Lead student Library Advisory Council group (grades 7-12)
- Attend grade level meetings
- Coordinate library field trips, such as Y’all West
- Chaperone school outdoor education and other trips
- Supervise the scheduling and training of library volunteers
- Supervise overall library schedule
- Manage library presence on OnCampus Resources page for accuracy and content
- Educate community about library resources from Flintridge Prep and beyond through displays, communication at meetings and in various publications, and other venues
- Supervise student testing in the library when necessary, based on the school’s evolving needs as communicated by academic and student life administrators.
- Uphold policies on appropriate student behavior (noise level, trash, device use policy, food, etc.no food, no gaming, etc.)
- Organize any faculty, staff or student orientations as needed
- Supervise library staff with the goal of a cohesive, energetic, inclusive, inviting library space
Desired Qualifications
- Has experience working with and a deep appreciation of adolescents
- Possesses an ALA-accredited MLIS or MLS degree and a bachelor’s degree
- Experience overseeing a librarian and/or assistant librarian
- Minimum of five years’ supervising students and staff in a library setting (preferably secondary school) as head librarian
- Proficient in a variety of ed tech platforms and AI tools
- Ready to be a leader for faculty and students in educational technology
- Experience with library and educational management systems
- Knowledgeable in both current and future trends and practices in libraries
- Has a commitment to continuous learning and staying abreast of new developments and practices.
- Is advanced in Microsoft Office, Google Suite, and library and database software.
- Has demonstrated commitment to the work of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging
- Brings a flexible, innovative, can-do, proactive, positive approach to library work
- Enjoys collaborating and problem solving with colleagues
- Ability to lift, carry, push, or pull up to 25 pounds
- Ability to sit, stand, and walk around for an extended period of time
- Valid California Driver’s License
Candidates are invited to email a letter of interest and resume to:
Sarah Cooper
Associate Head of School
scooper@flintridgeprep.org
Applicants will be considered for positions without regard to their actual or perceived race, religious creed (including religious dress or grooming practices), color, national origin or ancestry (including native language spoken), physical or mental disability (including HIV or AIDS), medical condition (including cancer or genetic characteristics), genetic information, marital status (including registered domestic partnership status), sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, lactation and related medical conditions), gender (including gender identity and expression), parental status, age (forty (40) and over), sexual orientation, Civil Air Patrol status, military and veteran status, citizenship, immigration status or any other consideration protected by federal, state or local law.
Please visit flintridgeprep.org/about-us/employment for more information
about working at Flintridge Prep.