Michael Schaefer

Michael holds bachelor’s degrees in history and philosophy and a master’s degree in history from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale. He earned a master’s in library and information science at the University of Missouri-Columbia. He began his career as an adjunct professor of history at several community colleges in the St. Louis metropolitan area. Michael went on to serve as an adult services provider for 15 years at St. Louis Public Library. In 2015, he joined the staff of the WashU Libraries as an electronic documents delivery assistant. He has been a subject librarian since 2018.

Subjects

American Culture Studies, History, Religious Studies, Medical Humanities, and Philosophy

Selected Projects, Activities & Accomplishments

• Assisted multiple faculty with digital humanities projects through the Humanities Digital Workshop, summers 2017-2025.
• Co-created the American Culture Studies class, “Fake News: Pandemics, Power, and Propaganda,” with AMCS faculty member Dave Walsh as part of the Gephardt Institute-sponsored Information Literacy Learning Community project, 2020-2021.
• Authored journal article “Interned for the Duration of the War: Censorship at St. Louis Public Library during the First World War” for Libraries: Culture, History, and Society in 2019.
• Authored book chapter “Fear of A ‘Scientific-Technological Elite:’ From Eisenhower’s to Biden’s Farewell Addresses – A Useful Category or Obfuscating Rhetorical Device?” for The Rise of Digital Technocracy published by Edward Elgar, July 2026.