Elementary School Bilingual(English/chinese)

Singapore American School

**Job Description**:
**BILINGUAL (ENGLISH/CHINESE) ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA SPECIALIST**

Our vision at SAS explains why we exist. We aspire to be a world leader in education, cultivating exceptional thinkers prepared for the future. We are committed to our mission that has been at the heart of our 65-year history: to provide each student an exemplary American educational experience with an international perspective.

If there is one thing we know about the future, it is that our students will graduate into a rapidly changing, increasingly global world where their success will depend to a large degree on their ability to learn new skills, take on new challenges, and work with a diverse range of people. We aim to build a strong sense of joy and purpose in learning among our students to enable them to do so.

We know that our students’ future success will depend on their ability to develop skills such as critical thinking, creativity, and cultural competence. And, it will depend on the quality of the moral character they develop. We seek to personalize learning for every child to meet their unique learning needs. We know that supporting them in their social-emotional growth is as important as their academic growth. And, we seek to stimulate that growth in a community as rich in equity and inclusion as it is in the extraordinary diversity of our students. Our ability to attract, retain, and develop diverse talented educators, working collaboratively in teams, is vital to our success.

**Library and Information Literacy in the Elementary School**

This library media specialist will be part of a collaborative library team that supports all SAS community members including students, teachers and parents. The library program nurtures literature appreciation, information literacy and digital citizenship. The library program functions on both a flexible and fixed schedule. This librarian will have the skills, experience and qualifications to meet the diverse needs of readers across the school. The primary focus of this position will be to develop, maintain and promote the Chinese materials in the library, as well as support the Chinese speaking community, both in the Immersion and World Language programs, as well as in our wider Mandarin-speaking community.

**Minimum Academic Qualifications**:

- **Excellent communication skills (speaking, reading, and writing) in English and Mandarin Chinese**:

- Advanced degree in Education from an accredited college or university
- **MLIS or equivalent school librarian endorsement certification**:

- Experience as a librarian in an Elementary school library setting
- Comprehensive knowledge of diverse, current, culturally responsive children’s literature (Pre-K through Grade 8) reader’s advisory

**Preferred Qualifications**
- At least three years elementary classroom teaching experience
- Experience using an automated library software system, eg. Follett and Overdrive
- Experience cataloging print and digital materials in English and Mandarin Chinese
- Experience working as a collaborative member of a professional learning community
- Experience managing a budget and library facility
- Supervised library assistant staff and parent volunteers
- Experience coaching teachers and/or leading professional development over time
- Knowledge of and experience with current best-practice in inquiry and culturally responsive practices
- Strong Google Suite skills (Docs, Sheets, Slides, Sites, etc) and iOS skills
- Experience or familiarity with makerspace tools and collaborative practices
- Highly effective communication, listening, collaboration, and interpersonal skills

**Collection Development and Resource Management**:

- Collaboratively develop a collection that includes professionally selected (following the SAS collection development policy) print and digital resources that are easily accessible, aligns to curriculum, meets independent reading needs, and reflects diverse points of view
- Further develop an excellent print and digital Mandarin collection for preschool through eighth grade students to support world language classes, immersion classes, native Mandarin Chinese speaking students and families which promotes a love of literature and reading for information
- Source and promote resources to support teaching and learning in English and Mandarin Chinese classrooms
- Participate in the creation and/or review of appropriate policies on selection and deselection of materials, challenges, copyright, intellectual freedom, acceptable use policy, and confidentiality. Policies are approved by the district board and shared with school staff

**Instruction and Integration Responsibilities**
- Collaborate with librarians, teachers, PLC coaches, STEAM specialists and administrative staff
- Work in partnership with teachers, staff, and families modeling consistent effective teaching with library resources and tools to support literature appreciatio