Post: School Librarian

Duties and responsibilities: The School Librarian’s key function is the management, development and promotion of the library within the school to ensure that an effectiveness resource and information service is provided to all pupils and staff.

Specific responsibilites include:

• In conjunction with other members of staff assist the Head Teacher to draw up and implement a policy for the library which reflects the educational aims and objectives of the school.  To monitor the effectiveness of the policy on a regular basis.
• Plan and oversee the organisation and management of the library including the financial management of the library resource budget and the preparation of financial estimates.  The compilation of an annual report to the Governing Body on the library’s stock and developmental needs in relation to the library’s integral role in supporting the school curriculum.
• Contribute to curriculum development through attendance at management team, faculty and departmental discussions and informal liaison with individual teachers.
• Selection, acquisition, organisation, promotion and maintenance of book and non-book resources to cover the full age and ability range of the school community, and to ensure an equality of opportunity for all pupils and staff.
• Responsibility for optimising the use of IT services within the school; this to include on-line view data systems and the compilation of in-house data-bases as appropriate.  Development of training packages for staff and pupils on the use of IT as an effective information retrieval tool.
• Arrangement of materials for effective retrieval including the systematic indexing, classification and cataloguing of all library resources.  The dissemination of information relating to those resources to staff and students as appropriate.
• To ensure a high standard of display and promotional material to enhance the standard of appearance of the library in order to provide an attractive environment conductive to achieving optimum use both for purposeful study and leisure.
• Participation with the teaching staff in the planning and development of the school’s information skills and language programmes and active involvement in the delivery thereof.
• Guidance and assistance to:
• Pupils on:
  1. appropriate strategies for the selection of information sources to undertake assignments both from within the school and the wider community.
  2. the effective use of specific sources e.g. reference material, micro fiche, etc.
  3. the choice of literature and materials to meet curricular and leisure needs
  4. the compilation of book lists and other promotional material where appropriate
• Teachers on:
  1. maintaining a high level of resource awareness relating to relevant course/subject areas
  2. professional reading
• Liaison with external agencies to ensure that the maximum use is made of appropriate materials and information provided by key support services and outside organisations e.g. County Library Service, Museums Service, etc.
• Responsibility for personal professional development making full use of advisory services and maintaining a high level of current awareness regarding children’s literature and developments in education and librarianship, including attendance at School Librarian Management meetings, book selection meetings and courses as appropriate.
• Any other duties which may reasonably be regarded as within the nature of the duties and responsibilities/grade of the post as defined, subject to the proviso that normally any changes of a permanent nature shall be incorporated into the job description in specific terms.

The above represents the core duties commensurate with the grade of Scale 5/6.  However, where all of the following criteria are met the appropriate grade would be SO1.

• Where the school has more than one library site, excluding school resource centres and small book collections that may be held in staff rooms, classrooms, etc. or large school with only one site but with more than 1000 pupils on roll.
• Where the school has a sixth form.
• Where the librarian has an involvement in teaching library skills e.g. user education on a timetabled basis or the ad hoc demonstration of library/information retrieval techniques.
• Where the librarian is involved in demonstrating to staff and pupils the use of Information Technology e.g. computers, databases, etc. as a means of information retrieval of data manipulation.
• Where the librarian is responsible for managing permanent clerical staff, including the allocation of work and staff training and development.  In some establishments, the old LEA formula for support staff provided for a library assistant post.  Where this post was not filled to enable a more flexible approach to the use of the total hours available, it is not intended that is should prohibit consideration of the SO1 grade.

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