The King’s school will follow an international curriculum throughout, the Cambridge Pathway, leading to IGCSE and A Levels. However, the Grades 1-8 curriculum will be supplemented by Chinese language and humanities, and Chinese (Shanghai) mathematics. All students will experience a rich variety of co-curricular opportunities and be supported by pastoral care of the highest standard, all of which are essential to a truly holistic and inclusive education. The library is sited in a central place in the campus, occupying 2 floors, and comprising reading areas, study areas, display areas, a seminar room, an office, and an outdoor balcony.
Books to get us started are being ordered via Follett and we shall be using their Destiny classification and cataloguing system. Thereafter, the librarian will be responsible for the ordering of books, materials, etc., in liaison with the Academic team.
The library will be staffed all day and be available for senior boarders Monday to Thursday until 21:30.
We intend the library building to be a busy hub which students can visit during break times and which will host both individuals and teaching groups during lesson time for research purposes. However, a school library also needs to have a strong virtual presence, reaching out to the community in terms of on-line resources, journals, etc.
The librarian will be expected to run an enthusiastic and efficient team, inspire students with a love of reading, teach research skills and guide teachers as to the availability of both physical and online resources.
The job description below is far from exhaustive. It merely highlights some of the key areas of the work.
Specific Responsibilities
1. To be responsible for the library staff, organising rotas and job responsibilities 2. To order books and resources as required by the academic staff; liaising with department heads is an essential part of the job 3. To catalogue all books and resources, ensuring that the lending system is efficient and effective 4. To manage the inventory of all books and resources 5. To ensure that the library is a welcoming, stimulating and friendly environment 6. To organise the library’s outreach programme to promote reading, the library and its resources 7. To build and manage the library as an online presence, ensuring that all online material is relevant and accessible 8. To run the library committees involving both students and staff 9. To organise and host some library displays and events: e.g. displays at festival times, reading and poetry recitals, etc. 10. To be prepared to assist junior students with their reading and project-based learning as required 11. To help senior students with research, citing references, etc., for their project work (such as the IPQ) 12. To perform other reasonable and appropriate tasks as directed by the school leaders
Personal Qualifications and Qualities
1. At least an undergraduate degree, preferably a Masters 2. A relevant qualification in library work 3. A teaching qualification and/or teaching experience is preferable 4. Previous school library experience, preferably in an international school 5. High dual language skills in Chinese and English 6. Very good IT skills, especially in excel and in working with databases 7. Reliable, organised and efficient 8. Approachable and personable to both staff and students
Salary and Status
A school librarian is an important person in the learning community. The salary will reflect the role, the size of the school and the qualifications/experience of the postholder.
The librarian is a member of the academic department and should only take annual leave during the school holidays. S/he should also be prepared to work for at least 10 days before the start of the school year and must ensure that the inventory is complete before leaving at the end of each term.
