Library Assistant

University School of Nashville

Library Assistant

August 2025

Classification: In-service to In-service (i2i), 1.0 FTE, non-exempt
Reports to: Library Director
 

Position Summary
University School of Nashville (USN) seeks an energetic, creative, tech-savvy self-starter with a positive attitude and friendly demeanor to join the Library Department as a full-time Library Assistant. The successful candidate will possess strong organizational skills, love to collaborate, and be willing and able to manage student behavior in a busy library. A typical day might include cataloging new books, helping students find resources for their research projects, planning events with the rest of the library team, restocking the student supply closet, and creating a themed book display. Another day might look entirely different.

The Hassenfeld Library is a 20,000-square-foot facility serving students and faculty from kindergarten through twelfth grade. Its nearly 30,000 volumes, numerous study areas, multiple technology access points, archives, and specialized instructional spaces complement a large central reading room. The Hassenfeld Library’s centerpiece location on campus makes it a popular gathering and programming space for the entire school community, with noise levels that ebb and flow throughout the day. The library’s hours of operation are 7:30am-4:30pm on school days.

Responsibilities

• Manage circulation and cataloging functions and patron accounts in Destiny
• Manage monthly overdue notice process and coordinate with the Business Office to manage billing for lost books
• Provide reference and circulation assistance to students, faculty, and staff
• Supervise and manage student attendance, behavior, and use of library materials and resources
• Interact in a positive and helpful way with patrons
• Maintain a welcoming, neat, and attractive library space
• Purchase and organize materials and supplies for students and for the library team
• Code purchases and maintain files of invoices/receipts
• Schedule library meeting rooms for faculty
• Update the library website as needed
• Assist with library inventory, weeding, and collection management
• Create and/or help maintain library displays
• Regularly close the library at 4:30pm
• Perform other duties as determined by the Library Director

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree
• Experience working with young adults required
• Experience in a school library and/or a diverse school community preferred

Skills and Abilities

• Strong computer skills and comfort with learning new library, educational, and office technology and multimedia tools such as Canva
• Strong customer service orientation
• Strong social skills and aptitude for interacting with children, teens, and adults
• Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively with teenagers and adults in a busy academic and social environment
• Ability to organize and multitask with close attention to detail
• Be creative, flexible, innovative, and patient, and possess a keen sense of humor
• Eagerness to initiate new ideas
• Perform reliably and dependably with a good record of attendance, punctuality, flexibility, and time management
• Communicate thoroughly, accurately, and concisely, both verbally and in writing
• Maintain professional appearance and behave in a manner appropriate to a public setting
• Maintain a positive, welcoming, and professional demeanor
• Demonstrate integrity and confidentiality

The School

University School of Nashville is an independent, non-sectarian, co-educational day school with enrollment of over 1,000 students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. In 1915, the George Peabody College for Teachers opened Peabody Demonstration School, USN’s predecessor, which earned acclaim for its curriculum and faculty. In 1974, Peabody College announced plans to close PDS, and a group of parents, alumni, students, and teachers reconstituted and re-chartered the school as University School of Nashville. 

USN’s midtown location adjacent to Vanderbilt University and its Peabody College for Teachers reminds us each day of our beginnings over 108 years ago in the demonstration school culture of innovation and educational best practices. It’s a vibrant educational community for both students and teachers in the midst of a dynamic city.

In the USN community, students expect much of each other, and faculty benefit from that high standard. We seek educators who are enthusiastic about their own learning to complement their work and we offer many opportunities for professional growth. USN is committed to creating an institutional environment that mirrors the cultural and ethnic composition of greater Nashville. USN encourages a diverse applicant pool and provides equal employment opportunities for employees and job applicants.

Please be prepared to upload the following items through USN's online application for this position:

Cover Letter

Resume