Library Director, Shady Hill School, Cambridge MA

Posted December 17, 2013

For over nine decades, Shady Hill, a school of 517 students (PS-8) and seventy-five full- and part-time teachers, has been a leader in progressive elementary education.  The yearlong central subject study, which emphasizes strong content, the use of primary sources, acquisition of essential skills, and self-discovery, forms the core of our curriculum.  The school’s program allows children to explore their worlds and test their powers.  We seek to develop independent, joyful and curious learners who respect their own accomplishments and those of others.  We strive to be a community whose values are strong and which is unafraid to engage students in important questions.  As a diverse school, we believe that a varied and inclusive community is an educational and moral imperative that empowers us all.  Therefore, we seek to hire teachers who share this commitment.

 

Shady Hill School is also a teacher training institution.  Its long-standing Teacher Training Course, which brings as many as eighteen apprentice teachers to campus each year, prepares talented men and women for careers in education and allows each faculty member the opportunity to be a mentor and meaningful contributor to the teaching field.  Since the school endorses apprentices for licensure, we prefer a candidate with licensure.

 

The Shady Hill Library is an essential resource for students (PS-VIII), faculty and apprentice teachers. Librarians provide weekly instruction, as well as reference, reader advisory and curricular support for the entire school community. Our fully automated facilities include a collection of 25,000 books and audio-visual materials.

 

Specific Responsibilities:

 

Assume leadership to promote the library’s role in curriculum integration

Plan and lead library classes for elementary and middle school students

Oversee general collection maintenance, processing of new books and circulation duties

 

Qualifications:

M.L.S. degree required

Three years’ Early Childhood, Elementary and Middle School prior teaching experience required

Extensive knowledge of children’s literature

Skilled in database management, including library automation

Strong communication skills

 

Finalists are expected to teach a demonstration lesson. A writing sample and college transcripts are also required.

 

Please send a cover letter and resume to: [email protected] or Shady Hill School, 178 Coolidge Hill, Cambridge, MA 02138. A detailed description of the school can be found at www.shs.org.