Half-Time (0.5 FTE) Founding Position · Reports to the Principal · Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s in Library and Information Science (American Library Association accredited) preferred, or coursework toward it · Illinois School Librarian or Library Media Specialist certification a plus · School-library, academic-library, or research-library experience preferred · College-preparatory, independent, Jewish day or faith-based school experience is a plus. Being Jewish is not a requirement for this role. Fewer years but exceptional craft? We hire for mastery, not seat time.
Are you a librarian who builds libraries rather than keeps them? Do you believe a great school library is the busiest room in the building: systems humming, collections alive, students finding what they need and what they did not know they needed? Are you excited to help stand up a brand-new library from its first catalog record? If so, Davis School Chicago wants to hear from you.
THE DREAM TEAM
Davis School Chicago is a proudly Jewish, college-preparatory high school opening in fall 2027 in downtown Chicago, in a state-of-the-art building at the heart of a great city for learning. Every adult at Davis Chicago is an educator and a culture-builder. We hold two expectations at the same time: deep human warmth and uncompromising intellectual excellence. High health and high results, never one at the cost of the other. This is a summary of the characteristics that describe our dream team. Please read the full Profile of the Ideal Davis Chicago Educator https://www.davischicago.org/idealeducator and more information about our opportunities before you apply.
To thrive here you are:
- Warm and intellectually formidable. Genuinely kind and seriously bright. We hire for intellectual horsepower; only sharp minds grow students to their full potential.
- You bring the room to life. Passion people feel, loud or quiet, with the range to teach, support, and lead.
- A builder who owns it. Startup grit, a real growth mindset, open about mistakes, gives the gift of feedback, and the drive to create what doesn’t exist yet.
- Teach how to think, not what to think. Rigor, evidence, and a love of hard questions, including the controversial ones. Students reach their own conclusions.
- Rooted in tradition, built for what’s next. Ancient wisdom and modern tools, AI included, aimed at today's problems.
- Unapologetically Jewish. Israel has a right to exist; that is not up for debate. Everything else is fair game, including spirited debate about Israel’s actions. You’re excited to help build a proudly Jewish, pro-Israel school.
WHAT DAVIS CHICAGO NEEDS
Davis Chicago is hiring a half-time (0.5 FTE) Librarian / Library Media Specialist to help build the school’s library right from day one: collections, systems, digital resources, and research support that a founding class can actually use. This role works alongside the Head Librarian & Capstone Chair so the library of tomorrow gets built while the research and Capstone program gets led. If you are interested in a full-time role and are ready to lead the library and the Capstone program, Davis School Chicago is also hiring a founding Head Librarian & Capstone Chair https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/davischicago/6a67f251-02ff-424f-824e-efb661e80001. This role builds the library of tomorrow and chairs the school’s signature Capstone program.
WHO THRIVES IN THIS ROLE
- Warm, Relational, and High-Performing – Kind, emotionally intelligent, intellectually rigorous, and committed to excellence.
- A Builder of Libraries – Systems, collections, and spaces that actually get used.
- A Research Ally – Teaches students to find, judge, and use information well.
- An Entrepreneurial Builder – Thrives in ambiguity, solves problems, and creates programs, systems, and traditions from the ground up.
- A Curious and Courageous Thinker – Embraces learning, evidence, critical thinking, and meaningful debate.
- Rooted and Forward-Looking – Honors tradition while…