Friends Seminary educates students from kindergarten through twelfth grade, adhering to the values of the Religious Society of Friends. We strive to build a diverse school where students exercise their curiosity and imagination as they develop as scholars, artists and athletes. In a community that cultivates the practices of keen observation, unhurried reflection, critical thinking, and coherent expression, we listen for the single voice as we seek unity. The disciplines of silence, study, and service provide the matrix for growth: silence opens us to change; study helps us to know the world; service challenges us to put our values into practice. At Friends Seminary, education is rooted in the Quaker belief in the Inner Light – that of God in every person. Guided by the testimonies of integrity, peace, equality, and simplicity, we prepare students to engage in the world that is and to help bring about a world that ought to be.
Founded in 1786, Friends Seminary, the oldest continually operating coeducational, independent Quaker school in New York City, seeks applications for a Lower School Librarian for the 2025-2026 academic year. This position provides media instruction in grades K-4 and manages Lower School library services, spaces, and collections. This position works in close collaboration with the Director of Library Services and is considered a vital resource to classroom teachers in connecting literature appreciation, information literacy instruction, and digital citizenship with project based learning in the elementary classroom. Direct reports include the Head of Lower School and K-12 Dean of Faculty.
Responsibilities
Collaborate with the Director of Library Services on library programming, budgeting, cataloging, and database management.
Maintain and update scope and sequence for K-4 library/media program in consultation with the Head of Lower School.
Curate a diverse collection of print, ebook, and audiobook resources for the Lower School community.
Build and maintain the digital library and digital learning environments, including eBooks, databases, blogs, OPACS, and digital library assets, in collaboration with the Director of Library Services.
Plan, teach, and continually update Lower School library and media instruction.
Liaise with Lower School faculty members to identify opportunities to integrate information literacy skills and digital citizenship with classroom curriculum and projects.
Provide library orientation, book talks, author visits, and research opportunities to Lower School students, families, and new faculty.
Counsel with and provide individualized reading guidance to Lower School students and families.
Train and oversee Parent Association library volunteers on Lower School library circulation and support.
Plan K-4 author visits and collaborate with the Director of Library Services on the overall Visiting Author program.
Remain current with publishing trends and best practices in school librarianship.
Engage in ongoing professional development relevant to the position.
Attend weekly division, department, or full faculty meetings.
Support the mission and philosophy of the School.
View curriculum as well as classroom and School culture through a lens focused on the core values of equality, diversity, and community engagement.
Perform additional responsibilities as assigned.
Qualifications
A demonstrated love of literature for young readers.
Energetic, collaborative, and flexible.
3-5 years experience working with elementary school students.
Digital proficiency and technology skills.
Library science background.
Familiarity with or training in Responsive Classroom is a plus.
Experience in a Quaker educational environment is a plus.
Required Education
Master’s degree required, MLIS preferred.
Compensation
Annual salary range for 2025-2026 based on years of teaching experience and level of degrees earned:
$82,000 - $164,000
Benefits
Friends Seminary offers excellent benefits including paid time off, health, dental, vision, 403(b) with a School-paid match; wide-ranging opportunities for professional development, including tuition support and summer grants; and a talented and dedicated team of teaching colleagues and supportive administrators. Successful candidates will join a dynamic and forward-thinking teaching community of over 150 educators.
Contact information for three to five personal references
A statement of educational philosophy
When submitting your materials, kindly be sure to reference your first and last name, the position for which you are applying, and where you heard about the position in the subject line. i.e. [last name], [first name] - Lower School Librarian - Friends Seminary website. You will receive a confirmation email when you submit your application. No phone calls, please.
Friends Seminary actively promotes diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism in all its programs and operations, including admissions, financial aid, hiring, and all facets of the educational experience. To form a community which strives to reflect the world’s diversity, we do not discriminate on the basis of race or color, religion, nationality, ethnicity, economic background, physical ability, sex, gender identity or expression, or sexual orientation. Friends Seminary is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates of color and members of other underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged to apply. We urge all applicants to identify and express their individuality and the ways in which they might enrich and diversify the School community.
Moreover, all successful applicants, whether for a faculty or administrative staff post, must demonstrate an ongoing commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism in their professional lives. Applicants for a faculty position should highlight ways their curriculum, pedagogy, and classroom culture may advance these goals. Applicants for an administrative staff position should highlight ways they seek to promote these goals in their office work, programming, or operational endeavors.
Friends Seminary educates students from Kindergarten through Twelfth Grade, adhering to the values of the Religious Society of Friends. We strive to build a diverse school where students exercise their curiosity and imagination as they develop as scholars, artists and athletes. In a community that cultivates the practices of keen observation, unhurried reflection, critical thinking, and coherent expression, we listen for the single voice as we seek unity. The disciplines of silence, study, and service provide the matrix for growth: silence opens us to change; study helps us to know the world; service challenges us to put our values into practice. At Friends Seminary, education is rooted in the Quaker belief in the Inner Light – that of God in every person. Guided by the testimonies of integrity, peace, equality, and simplicity, we prepare students to engage in the world that is and to help bring about a world that ought to be.