CATE SCHOOL

Position Description

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Position: Director of Libraries 

Reports to: Annalee Salcedo, Dean of Academics

Status: Exempt (Salaried) 

Pay Scale: $70,000-85,000

Position Start Date: June 1, 2024

Interested candidates should send a CV and two letters of reference to Annalee Salcedo, Dean of Academics, annalee_salcedo@cate.org, 805 684 4127 x. 271

OVERVIEW

Cate School is committed to attracting and retaining a highly talented and diverse community. We seek applications from candidates who are eager to live among and teach young people from all over the world. A small co-educational boarding school on the Central Coast of California, Cate School offers a career opportunity for educators whose priorities and purposes mirror the four pillars of our mission statement--commitment, scholarship, companionship, and service.  

Cate School practices a policy of Equal Opportunity Employment and nondiscrimination in the treatment of employees or applicants for employment without consideration of race, color, ethnicity, religion, age, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, disability, veteran status, genetic information, gender or gender identity.

POSITION PURPOSE

The Cate School Director of Libraries collaborates closely with administrators, faculty, students, and other stakeholders to develop library spaces, collections, exhibits, and patron services that promote inclusivity and respond to the diverse academic and cultural needs of the Cate community. In the short term, this librarian will have the opportunity to create, shape, and implement a shared vision for the new Wykoff Library which opens in the summer of 2024.  Throughout their tenure, the Director of Libraries will be a teacher, a partner to our faculty, the steward of our collections, and a program and campus leader, bringing their commitment to equity and inclusion to their work in these capacities.  The Director of Libraries will practice inquiry about emerging technologies that impact how we teach and learn and will lead the School’s efforts to be well-informed and strategic in our relationships with these technologies.  The Director of Libraries motivates and guides community members to appreciate literature and reading.

In addition, this role may include full residential engagement including residential duty on a dorm team and two co-curricular responsibilities. If housing is not an appropriate fit at this time, a day faculty role may also be an option. Day faculty members are also involved in Cate’s residential and co-curricular programs, though to a lesser extent than housed faculty members. 

As a teacher, the Director of Libraries:

• teaches articulated research skills based on the AASL National School Library Standards through classroom visitations, online tutorials, and stand-alone research skills courses

• oversees support for the Cate School Early Learning Center (preschool program)’s early literacy program

• provides technical support and training to faculty and students for a variety of ed-tech software platforms

• supervises the student librarian program, including regular meetings and scheduling.

As a partner to our faculty, the Director of Libraries:

• offers professional growth opportunities (e.g. workshops, reading groups) for faculty on topics of current and emerging importance

• assists students, faculty, and administrators with research, information analysis, academic writing, copy-editing, and fact-checking.

• works closely with the Cate Academic Support Services team to assist students with individualized learning plans and special proctoring needs

• serves on Cate’s Department Chairs Committee and Tech Committee 

• leads efforts to plan and implement the annual All-School Summer Read

As a steward of our collections, the Director of Libraries:

• maintains, develops, and assesses our library collection, library policies, and library media program to ensure they are aligned with School goals and best practices in inclusive education.

• understands the school's curriculum so that they can develop a collection that coordinates with long-term teaching goals as well as current and emerging needs.

• the librarian provides intellectual, physical, and virtual access to print and digital learning materials that are efficiently organized and conveniently stored according to accepted standards.

• maintains a facility that is active, inviting, and conducive to student and faculty learning.

• supervises the Cate School Archives and archivist

Qualifications:

• MLIS from an ALA-accredited institution recommended

• Experience supervising staff and student workers in a library setting (preferably high school)

• Experience with library management systems (Koha preferred)

• Experience copy cataloging with OCLC

• Facility with or ability to learn educational management systems (Schoology, Veracross, etc.)

Key Competencies

• Strong knowledge of and commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, anti-racism, anti-oppression, and social justice

• Commitment to / love for working with teenagers as a role model, mentor, advisor

• Commitment to professionalism, collaboration, and growth

• High work standards as evidenced by

• • excellent verbal and written communication skills

  • organization and planning

  • attention to detail

  • problem solving

  • critical thinking

  • decision making

• Ability to thrive in boarding school environment as evidenced by

• • self-motivation and initiative

  • stress tolerance

  • flexibility and adaptability

  • high energy level and stamina

  • ability to setting boundaries