Chris Shaffer

Chris Shaffer serves as University Librarian and Assistant Vice Chancellor at the University of California, San Francisco, holding ex officio positions on the Executive Council (2020-2030) and Library and Scholarly Communication Committee (2017-2026). As a senior academic administrator, he provides strategic leadership for UCSF's library system and scholarly communication initiatives across the health sciences university.

Shaffer earned his BA in Philosophy from Texas A&M University (1989) and MS in Information Science from the University of North Texas (1994), where he was recognized as Outstanding Student in Information Science and inducted into the Beta Phi Mu Library Science Honor Society.

His professional focus centers on scholarly communication and academic library leadership, particularly within medical and health sciences institutions. Shaffer's work examines the transition to open scholarship models, research data management frameworks, and strategic leadership approaches for academic libraries navigating the evolving scholarly publishing landscape.

With a single 2021 publication titled 'The move to open: medical library leadership in scholarly communication,' his scholarly output focuses on the critical role academic libraries play in advancing open access initiatives within health sciences institutions. His research connects library science with practical applications in medical scholarly communication.

• Medical Library Association 2024 Fellow
• University of North Texas 2023 Outstanding Alumni Award
• Medical Library Association 2020 Janet Doe Lectureship
• Multiple Medical Library Association President's Awards (2020, 2017)
• National Library of Medicine Leadership Fellow (2006-2007)

As University Librarian, Shaffer oversees library operations, collection development, and scholarly communication services that support UCSF's research, education, and patient care missions. His leadership extends to national professional organizations where he contributes to shaping the future of academic health sciences libraries. His work bridges traditional library services with emerging needs in research data management, digital scholarship, and open science initiatives within the medical research community.