About this role

Librarian

Job Title: Librarian

Employment Status: Full-time, Exempt, 3 year term

Start Date: February, 2027

Primary Location: Dominican School of Philosophy & Theology

2301 Vine St., Berkeley, CA 94708

Modality: In-person. Remote 1 day per week, optional.

Salary range: $80,000-$98,000 annually

About the Dominican School and Library

The Dominican School of Philosophy & Theology (DSPT), located in beautiful North Berkeley, is a community of scholars committed to the pursuit of truth as revealed in the Gospel and discovered by human reason. The school is inspired by the Dominican practice of disciplined inquiry, learned preaching, classical philosophy and Catholic theology, especially as exemplified by St. Thomas Aquinas. As a Center of Studies of the Order of Preachers and an apostolate of the Western Dominican Province, the

School serves priests, clerics, laity, faculty and students in pursuit of academic and apostolic vocations.

This is an exciting time for the Western Dominican Province, as plans for a new library and school in Oakland, CA are underway. We seek to establish an interim library service between 2027 and 2030 to support the students, faculty and staff of the School while the new facility is developed. A major part of the interim library service will involve laying the foundations for a future, permanent library: establishing essential library policies, building stakeholder engagement, receiving and organizing opening day collections and implementing technologies.

This is a really unique opportunity to start up a new research library.

Position Summary

The DSPT seeks an enthusiastic, innovative and highly self-directed librarian to start up our inaugural library service. Reporting to the President of the DSPT and in close collaboration with other administrative officers (Academic Dean, CFO) and a Library Consultant, the Librarian serves as the primary administrator of library services to students, faculty and staff.
With an office at the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology in North Berkeley, the librarian will shape and manage library operations for the School while a new facility is built at St. Albert the Great Priory in the Rockridge area of Oakland.

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate

is eager to develop and manage all service areas of a small academic library
seeks an excellent growth opportunity and early management skills in a library
has a service-first, entrepreneurial mindset, is approachable and engaging
brings skills in multiple areas of librarianship (though not necessarily all areas)
thinks strategically about change and acts quickly to prepare the community, collections and technologies for relocation
has a genuine interest in the people, mission and institutional life of the School (religious affiliation is not required for this position)

Responsibilities

Library administration (40%)

Administers a small research library’s budget, collections, consortially hosted Library Management System and digital infrastructure
Communicates library activities, policies and performance with stakeholders
Analyzes community needs in order to prioritize access to information resources
Serves as DSPT’s liaison to library consortia
Acquires library content, software, supplies and services

Library Operations (30%

Manages essential day-to-day library operations for DSPT’s approximately 75-100 students, faculty and staff
Administers access to library materials, including circulation and lending services
Opens and closes the library space(s) and communicates facilities issues
Writes or revises policies, as needed
Copy catalogs and relocates items in the LMS
Provides quick reference services and limited in-depth research, teaching and instructional support services
Develops written procedures for library patrons, volunteers or assistants
May supervise graduate student assistants

Special Projects (30%)

Coordinates, receives and organizes opening day collections, preparing them for access (in Year 1). Prepares for relocation to a permanent library (in Year 3)
Sets up library spaces and workstations (or coordinates with service providers to do the same)
Continues to develop the library website
Evaluates existing secondary LMSs (e.g. Koha) and proposes a path to merge holdings
Other library duties, as assigned

Qualifications

Require

An MLS/MLIS from an ALA-accredited institution (Candidates who will complete their degrees within six months of the start date will be considered)
Professional experience in an academic, special or research library in collection management, access services, cataloging/metadata management, digital library systems administration and/or e-resource management
Demonstrated ability to work independently to develop library services within a framework of operational policies
Demonstrated ability to research service options and make well-reasoned, timely decisions informed by best-practices in library science
Experience diagnosing and resolving technical issues involving library software, hardware and user experience, with excellent attention to detail
Excellent communication skills
Pursues ongoing professional development relevant to the position

Preferre

Subject expertise in philosophy, religion, history or theology as demonstrated by a Bachelor’s, Master’s or advanced degree in any of these fields and/or prior collection development experience in these subjects in a research library
Experience managing a library budget and working with library vendors and publishers to secure services or license content
Experience updating item locations and performing copy cataloging in an LMS by searching, identifying, and importing bibliographic records from external utilities (e.g., OCLC/WorldCat)
Experience administering a Library Management System

Skill

LMS (e.g. Sierra, Folio or WMS, familiarity with Koha)
Copy cataloging (See RAILS skill levels)
CMS (e.g. Springshare LibApps or similar web authoring)
Library consortia relations (e.g. Graduate Theological Union, SCELC)
Advanced MS Excel for library collections analysis

Work Environment
The librarian will work in an office environment at the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology and as many as two others sites (The Saint Albert’s Priory and a leased shop or warehouse facility.) Regular travel between service locations will be required (approximately 5 miles across town through the beautiful North Berkeley, Rockridge and warehouse areas.) A valid California Driver’s License is required. Subject to approval, working from home one day per week is possible in this position.

Physical Abilities Require

Lift boxes of books (15-30 lbs) regularly, up to 50 lbs. occasionally
Push book carts, reach, stoop and bend to access books and equipment
Some exposure to adverse environmental conditions such as dust and/or odors
Sitting at a desk for long periods of time
Ability to navigate uneven surfaces, stairs, stools and ladders

Benefit

Salary commensurate with experience in the range of $80,000-$98,000 annually
Comprehensive benefits package including medical & dental plan
Paid vacation, sick days, & holidays
403(b) retirement savings plan and employer automatic contribution
Professional development support

DSPT does not offer relocation benefits. Candidates must be eligible to work in the United States. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Application Instructions

To apply, please send a resume/CV, a cover letter describing your specific interest in
this position, and contact information for three professional references to careers@dspt.edu.

While we welcome applicants who find this listing online, only applicants who follow these instructions will be considered for the position.

First Review Date: December 1, 2026. Open until filled.

Interviews:
We anticipate holding screening interviews followed by in person final interviews. References will be contacted after final interviews. Finalist candidates will be notified prior to contacting references.

Job ID: 86731959