Library Media Specialist

MARION CITY SCHOOLS

Marion, Ohio

March 4, 2025

POSITION VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT

Anticipated Openings for the 2025-26 School Year

 
 
Title:                                      

Library Media Specialist
 
Department:                        

Certified
 
Responsible To:                   

Educational Technology Supervisor/Building Principal

Terms of Employment:       

Contract, salary, and benefits per negotiated agreement.  

The minimum starting salary is 46,054 – 51,598.

Location:                               

Harding High School

Qualifications:                   

Bachelor’s Degree

Master’s Degree in Library Science preferred

Valid Ohio teaching license

At least 3 years of successful teaching experience preferred                                              
 
Job Goal:

According to the American Association of School Librarians, “Today's school librarian works with both students and teachers to facilitate access to information in a wide variety of formats, instruct students and teachers how to acquire, evaluate and use information and the technology needed in this process, and introduces children and young adults to literature and other resources to broaden their horizons.” The Library Media Specialist demonstrates a love of reading and embraces the world of information remaining knowledgeable about books and authors and new literacies. The Library Media Specialist instructs students in the skills necessary to think critically about information and to communicate new learning in a variety of formats. The role of the Library Media Specialist is to collaborate with others, serving as a change agent and leader, to create a foundation for students to be effective users of ideas and information to ensure independent lifelong learning.
 
Leadership Performance Responsibilities:

• Offers faculty in-service sessions in the areas of information literacy and electronic and online resources.
• Informs teachers, students, and administrators about the arrival of new material.
• Assists teachers in finding materials to support content-areas instruction as well as professional growth.
• Consults with teachers about students’ needs and weaknesses and offers developmentally appropriate resources.
• Serves as a resource person to administrators, teachers, parents, and students.
• Provides leadership in the integration of information technology into all areas of the curriculum.
• Encourages 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.
• Collects and analyzes data to improve instruction and to demonstrate correlations between the library program and student achievement.
• Attends department meetings.

 Instructional Partner Responsibilities:

• Works with teachers and others to identify links across student information needs, curricular content, learning outcomes, and a wide variety of print, non-print, and electronic information resources.
• Collaborates with teachers to design and teach engaging inquiry and learning experiences (including instruction in the location, extraction, organization, and synthesis of information, research strategies, use of resources and equipment) and assessments that incorporate multiple literacies and foster critical thinking.
• Collaborates with teachers and others to plan and implement meaningful experiences that will promote a love of reading and lifelong learning.
• Provides and plans professional development opportunities within the school and district for and with all staff, including other school media specialists.
• Reviews the Acceptable Use of Technology expectations with students and staff.
• Guide students in developing the full range of information and communication abilities.
• Works closely with teachers to design tasks and assessments and integrate the information and communication abilities required to meet content standards.

 Information Specialist Responsibilities:

• Evaluates, promotes, and uses existing and emerging technologies to support teaching and learning, and models effective strategies for developing multiple literacies.
• Supplements school resources, connects the school with the global learning community, communicates with students and teachers, and provides 24/7 access to library services.
• Provides leadership and expertise in acquiring and evaluating information resources in all formats.
• Understands copyright, fair use, and licensing of intellectual property, and assists both teachers and students with their understanding and observance of the same.
• Organizes the collection for maximum and effective use.

 Teacher Responsibilities:

• Collaborates with students, staff, and other members of the learning community to determine learning and information needs.
• Embraces the world of information in all its formats and promotes the delivery of new information in innovative ways through diverse perspectives, multimedia products, and personal expression.
• Knowledgeable about current research and findings on teaching and learning and is able  to apply the findings to a variety of situations including those where students have to  access, evaluate, and use information from multiple sources in order to learn, to think,  and to create and apply new knowledge.
• Embraces problem solving as a natural part of the learning process and resiliency as a necessary attribute of the learner.
• Works with peers in successful collaboration for learning which includes constructively assessing their own learning and the work of their peers.
• Locates and uses materials to meet the needs of the community.
• Constantly updates personal skills and knowledge in order to work effectively with teachers, administrators and other staff-both to expand their general understanding of information issues and to provide them with specific opportunities to develop sophisticated skills in information literacy, including the uses of informational technology.

 Program Manager Responsibilities:

• Conducts ongoing action research and evaluation that creates data that is used to inform continuous program improvement.
• Supervises library paraprofessionals, and adult and student volunteers
• Prepares and administers the library budget, keeping records of all expenditures.
• Develops a balanced collection that is inclusive and representative of diverse points of view and conscious of our pluralistic society.
• In cooperation with parents, teachers, students, administrators, and community members, plans, arranges, administrates, operates, and supervises the library for efficient operation and service.
• Participates in curriculum development and implementation when needed.
• Maintains positive relationships with public librarians and other community organizations.
• Collaborates with classroom teachers to schedule flexible classes to provide integrated instruction in information literacy skills into content-area curriculum.
• Evaluates the library collection, weeds obsolete and worn out materials replacing as  needed with timely print or digital alternatives, and updates inventory records
• Displays material to promote literacy, inquiry, diversity, and inclusion.
• Creates an environment that fosters use by students, staff and community.

 Required knowledge, skills and abilities:

• Maintain appropriate licenses/endorsements and training hours as required.
• Comply with applicable District, state, local and federal laws, rules and regulations.
• Adhere to all standards established by the Ohio Department of Education for Licensed Educators.
• Maintain good attendance and punctuality.
• Maintain knowledge of academic areas, teaching methodology and strategies to engage students.
• Ability to work effectively with others.
• Ability to communicate ideas and directives clearly and effectively both orally and in writing.
• Ensure the safety of students.

 Other Duties and Responsibilities:

• Exhibit professional behavior, emotional stability and sound judgement.
• Maintain confidentiality and respect for confidential information at all times.
• Establish and maintain cooperative relationships.
• Attends meetings, professional development and serves on staff committees as required.
• Interacts in a positive manner with staff, students and parents.
• Refer suspected cases of child abuse immediately to the appropriate child protective services/law enforcement agency as mandated by state law and Board of Education policy.
• Promote good public relations by personal appearance, attitude and conversation.
• Takes all necessary and reasonable precautions to protect district equipment, materials and facilities.
• Plans purposeful assignments for educational assistants (para-professionals), volunteers and student teachers.
• Performs other duties as assigned by the superintendent.

Note:  The above lists are not ranked in order of importance.

Conduct:

Each staff member shall remain free of any alcohol or non-prescribed controlled substance and abuse of any prescribed controlled substance in the workplace throughout his/her employment in the District.

 
Evaluation:           

Performance of this job will be evaluated in accordance with the provisions of the Board’s policy on Evaluation of Professional Personnel.

Marion City Schools is an Equal Opportunity Employer
It is the policy of the Marion City Schools Board of Education that the best qualified applicant shall be selected for each position without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, marital status, political affiliation, disabling or military status. No person shall be denied employment solely because of any impairment which is unrelated to the ability to participate in activities involved in the position or program for which application has been made.

*This job description identifies primary responsibilities and is not intended to be a complete list of all tasks and activities. This job description is subject to change in response to student demographics, staffing factors, funding variables, modified operating procedures, program/curriculum changes as directed by the Superintendent of Marion City Schools. 

How to Apply:

If you are interested in being considered for this position, you must apply on the Marion City School’s website prior to 3:30 p.m. on Mondday, March 17, 2025.  Here is the link to apply

https://marioncityschools.tedk12.com/hire/index.aspx

If you have questions, contact Tabatha Varner, Educational Technology Supervisor, via email.

tvarner@mcspresidents.org