Website Presidio Hill School
Job Title: Librarian/Media Specialist TK-8
Status: .8 FTE, Exempt
Reports To: Head of School
Start Date: July 1, 2024
School Description
Presidio Hill School is an independent, progressive school located in the Presidio Heights neighborhood of San Francisco and serves a diverse population of 210 students enrolled in transitional kindergarten to 8th grade, with a faculty and staff of approximately 45 people. Established in 1918 by artist-educator-activists Helen Salz and Flora Arnstein, Presidio Hill School is the oldest continuously operating progressive school in California, with a mission and deep history connected to social justice. Our new Librarian/Media Specialist will have demonstrated passion and experience leading a school-wide library/media program and working with students and a school community that explicitly strives to be inclusive.
Presidio Hill offers its students a challenging, project-based curriculum that attends to their intellectual and social-emotional needs and prepares them to be agents of positive social change. Guided by a skilled and caring faculty, students learn to be confident and curious, to be creative problem solvers and independent, critical thinkers. Learning at PHS is collaborative and active. We place great value on the arts as both an academic discipline and an essential element of a meaningful life. Situated on the edge of the Presidio, our school takes full and frequent advantage of the park’s 1500 acres; whether they are studying science, art, social studies, or literature, the Presidio is a rich and vital “classroom” to our students. Our new librarian-designed and flexible library space is organized around genre and provides an active and welcoming hub for our students of all ages, both during the day and after school. The library includes an attached upper-grade annex, a librarian’s office, and a small outdoor reading patio.
Our vibrant, diverse, and supportive community allows students to explore their unique voices, traits, and talents; our emphasis on the importance of community and justice encourages students to develop self-awareness, personal character, resilience, and an understanding of their role as stewards of the planet and citizens of the world.
Presidio Hill School seeks a faculty and staff that reflects the broad range of diversity in the San Francisco Bay Area. Our school is strongly committed to promoting cultural competency in all interactions and programs. Invested in the growth, happiness, and preparation of our teachers, we provide generous support for their professional development.
Position Description
Presidio Hill School seeks a 4-day per-week Librarian/Media Specialist to begin July 1, 2024. Qualified candidates will demonstrate a deep understanding of and interest in the developmental nuances of elementary school-aged children, progressive education, and anti-bias teaching practices. Candidates will ideally have prior experience as a librarian in a K-8 school. The Librarian/Media Specialist will be expected to build a safe and engaging library community and to scaffold and differentiate lessons and experiences for students as needed, creating a program that meets the needs of a wide variety of learners. Given that PHS utilizes aspects of Responsive Classroom and Developmental Designs in order to support positive student behavior, candidates with experience in these areas are preferred.
This position includes leading weekly library and media classes for grades TK through 6, and partnership with 7th and 8th grade colleagues on program development and library access for our oldest students. Ideal candidates should possess a love of working with children of all ages, an MLIS degree, and ample successful experience in modern school librarianship, including teaching students and guiding learners with all relevant aspects of technology and media. The librarian also works with parent/guardian volunteers to organize two Book Fairs for our school, one in the fall and one in the spring.
The PHS librarian also serves as a middle school advisor for a small group of students and this includes meeting daily four mornings per week, providing oneself as a student advocate, communicating with colleagues and parents, and other related student support. Our current librarian also spearheads our annual yearbook project, and interest in maintaining that tradition would be desirable. Part-time volunteer support for the librarian may be provided to assist with tasks such as checking in and shelving books.
In addition to creating and maintaining a vibrant library, providing excellent instruction and inspiration, and maintaining effective communication with colleagues, parents, and students, the librarian/media specialist is expected to contribute to the greater PHS community through work on various committees and school events. PHS teachers and all faculty work closely with each other and collaborate and engage in a positive manner; excellent interpersonal skills are a necessity.
Primary Responsibilities:
Establish a safe and inclusive library environment where students feel comfortable taking risks through self-discovery, collaboration, and community engagement
Demonstrate a commitment to diversity and equity
Design and deliver curriculum and instruction in literary appreciation and research and presentation skills as appropriate to each grade level.
Collaborate with teachers to design integrated curriculum with service and cultural competency at the center
Help to provide support, resources, training, and information to teachers so the curriculum is enhanced by the professional knowledge and skills of a librarian/media specialist
Manage, maintain, and develop the library in both the physical space and materials and the digital world, such as the school website and online resources such as information databases. Note: Our library is no longer organized around a Dewey Decimal system and instead we use Genre/Subject classification.
Collaborate with parent/guardian volunteers to organize two Book Fairs, one in the fall and one in the spring.
Collaborate with the technology personnel, administration, and faculty in determining and guiding appropriate technology use and providing information community-wide on best practices with media and technology.
Supervise assigned recess and lunch duties.
Provide student support as a middle school advisor, including morning meetings, parent/guardian conferences, communication with middle school colleagues, and overnight field trips.
Skills, Qualifications, and Experiences
Experience working in a multicultural environment
Knowledge of Progressive Education
Demonstrated commitment to the mission and core values of Presidio Hill School
3-5 years experience in a school library program
Strong knowledge, experience, and enthusiasm in working with all forms of media and technology and instructing students and teachers on best practices with technology-based tools for learning, collaboration, communication, research, and presentation.
Specific experience using technology to support teaching and learning including Google docs and Google calendar, iPads and iOS.
Instructional experience with varied pedagogical approaches
Good humor, energy, a passion for teaching, and a love of learning
Experience and/or interest in supervising students on short overnight trips
Strong organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills
A Bachelor’s degree
A graduate degree (MLIS Preferred) or degree-in-progress related to education and/or library/information science is preferred
Salary Range at .8 FTE: $60,000 to $96,000
Interested candidates should send a cover letter, résumé, contact information for two to three references, and/or letters of reference via email (with Librarian in the subject line) to Tony Cifra, Lower School Director (cifra@presidiohill.org)
To learn more about PHS, please visit our website
