Anticipated - Library/Media Specialist - Ed Smith

Syracuse City School District•Syracuse, NY

About The Position

The Library Media Specialist (LMS) ensures students and staff are effective users of ideas and information. The LMS empowers students to be critical thinkers, skillful researchers, and ethical users of information by collaborating with teachers to design and implement instruction and assess learning. The role supports teaching and learning by integrating information literacy across the curriculum, teaching information fluency, promoting reading, modeling effective technology use, and providing professional development. The LMS builds and maintains a diverse collection, provides equitable access to resources in multiple formats, and organizes library materials, equipment, and space to support learning. The LMS also administers the library media program, including collaborating on long-term plans aligned with school goals and curriculum standards, communicating with administrators, assessing program needs and impact, managing the program budget and resources, and overseeing daily operations.

Requirements

Possess New York State teacher certification in the subject area, or qualify to obtain it by the first date of employment; at least a bachelor's degree is required for certification.
Meet New York State's minimum undergraduate GPA requirement of 2.5 for certification.
Pass a fingerprint-based background check; the stated cost to the candidate is $107.50.
Declare, if offered the position, that all prior obligations with an employing school district have been met and that the candidate is not seeking the position while intending to leave an unfulfilled prior commitment.

Nice To Haves

Proven experience accelerating measurable student learning in urban schools.
Training and/or experience with Culturally Relevant Education.
At least two years of successful classroom teaching experience.
Licensed teachers from other states may qualify for certification reciprocity.
Teachers of color or candidates with experience and a deep background in Urban Education may qualify for the District's Urban Fellowship Program.

Responsibilities

Use the Empire State Information Fluency Continuum as a basis for planning and integrate it across the curriculum.
Develop knowledge of subject-area and grade-level curricula and promote information literacy across the curriculum.
Design and teach information fluency lessons independently and collaboratively.
Collaborate with teachers and staff to integrate information literacy throughout teaching and learning.
Model, encourage, and instruct students and teachers in effective technology integration and creative expression of knowledge.
Design, develop, and implement programs that encourage reading for enjoyment and information.
Provide professional development on available information resources and technology integration.
Build and maintain a diverse collection supporting the curriculum and school community interests.
Recommend, create, implement, and evaluate resources and activities in various formats to meet students' learning needs.
Instruct and advise students and staff in the legal and ethical use of information.
Provide equitable access to resources in a variety of formats.
Select appropriate traditional and digital resources and equipment for accessing and producing information related to student learning needs.
Coordinate acquisition and circulation of library materials.
Organize library resources for effective and efficient use, and encourage flexible access to library programs and services.
Create a technology- and information-rich space conducive to learning; organize materials, resources, equipment, and space to support learning.
Provide reference services to the school community.
Ensure the library media program is understood as essential to the school's instructional program.
Serve on school committees.
Communicate regularly with the principal and other appropriate administrators about program plans, activities, and accomplishments.
Work with the learning community to develop and implement long-term strategic plans aligned with school goals, priorities, and national curriculum standards.
Remain current on issues, methods, and tools for assessing library media programs.
Collaborate with staff to identify student needs and develop and implement a comprehensive plan to address them.
Work with staff and administration to determine students' information and learning needs.
Maintain and communicate current knowledge and research findings related to the impact of school library media programs on student learning.
Maintain expertise in supervision, scheduling, and other areas of management responsibility.
Administer the program budget and oversee acquisition and use of space, furnishings, equipment, and resources.
Oversee all aspects of the daily operation of the library media program.