Media Specialist (2025-2026)

*This position is for the 2025-2026 school year.*

JOB TITLE: Media Specialist

IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR: Principal and Director of Technology and Innovation

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: This position is responsible for planning, preparing and providing instruction in the skills necessary to access information in all formats to ensure optimal student achievement. In fulfilling this role, the media specialist will plan, oversee, supervise, and operate the library and collaboration center, provide instruction in library and technology skills, serve as the library and media resource person, and work collaboratively with the school administration and staff to develop and maintain a school library program that supports the curriculum, provides extensive opportunities to develop 21st century skills, and is rich in both print and non-print materials.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Creates an environment where collaboration and creative problem solving thrive. Anticipates future obstacles and continually retools to meet challenges.
• Creates an environment that is conducive to active and participatory learning and resource based instructional practices.
• Collaborates with teaching staff utilizing and modeling the learning management system to create a repository of up-to-date, relevant, appropriate resources for staff and to facilitate instruction for students.
• Collaborates with media specialists at monthly meetings to develop up-to-date district practices concerning such issues as materials selection (books, ebooks, technology items), circulation, reconsideration of materials, copyright, privacy, and acceptable use.
• Encourages the use of instructional technology and computer science to engage students, facilitate digital learning, and to improve academic learning, providing 24/7 access to digital information resources for the entire learning community.
• Participates in continuous professional growth opportunities and provides and plans professional development opportunities within the school and district.
• Partners with teachers and other educators to build and strengthen connections between student information and research needs, curricular content, learning outcomes, and information resources.
• Participates in the curriculum development process at both the building and district level to ensure that the curricula include the full range of literacy skills (information, media, visual, digital, and technological literacy) necessary to meet content standards.
• Works collaboratively with colleagues and administration to collect and analyze data to create SMART goals in support of the school improvement plan to improve instruction and to demonstrate correlations between the school library program and student achievement.
• Collaborates with all staff to develop assignments that are instructionally sound and include key critical thinking, literacy and social skills, and instructional technology.
• Models and instructs staff to find, evaluate, curate, and adapt Open Educational Resources relevant to the instructional needs of students and in support of curriculum across all content areas.
• Works with peers in successful collaboration for learning and development of the 5C’s attaining the knowledge, skills and experiences that determine the framework of the Profile of a Virginia Graduate.
• Provides leadership and expertise in the selection, acquisition, evaluation, and organization of information resources and technologies in all formats, as well as expertise in the ethical use of information.
• Ensures equitable access and responsible use of information.
• Empowers students to become critical thinkers, enthusiastic readers, skillful researchers, and ethical users of information.
• Supports students’ success by guiding them in using and accessing equitable, flexible, and ethical resources and information that support the student’s academic and personal learning needs.
• Participates in makerspaces and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) activities in order to promote research, exploration, discovery, collaboration, creation, design, programming, inquiry, and problem solving.
• Works collaboratively with members of the learning community to define the policies of the school library program and to guide and direct all activities related to it.
• Maximizes the efficiency and effectiveness of the school library program.
• Uses effective management principles, including the supervision of personnel, volunteers, students, resources, and facilities, in developing and implementing program goals and objectives.
• Prepares, justifies, and administers the school library program budget to support specific program goals.
• Establishes processes and procedures for selection, acquisition, circulation, resource sharing, etc. that assure appropriate resources are available when needed; creates reports for research and documentation.
• Utilizes the Follett Asset Management System to inventory, organize, and track technology-related devices.
• Performs other duties as required.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: Bachelor’s Degree in applicable field of education from an accredited college or university. Must have or be eligible to receive a Virginia Collegiate Professional Licensure with endorsement in Library Media Prek-12 from the Virginia Department of Education.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. This is light work requiring the exertion of up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to move objects, and some light work requiring the exertion of up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects. Work requires reaching, pushing, and pulling, use of hands to grasp, handle or feel, fine manipulation, and repetitive motions. Vocal communication is required for expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word. Hearing is required to perceive information at normal spoken word levels. Visual acuity is required for preparing and analyzing written or computer data, operation of office equipment, determining the accuracy and thoroughness of work, and observing general surroundings and activities. The worker is not subject to adverse environmental conditions.

FLSA CLASSIFICATION: Exempt

DISCLAIMER: The preceding job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required to employees to this job.

Henry County Public Schools is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Position will be posted until filled.

Due to limited funds, Henry County Public Schools is unable to sponsor Visas.