• B.A., Gallaudet University, English, 1991
• M.A., New York University, Independent Study, 1998
• M.L.S., Queens College, 2003

 Originally from Long Island, Christopher Shea worked as a copy editor before entering the field of library science, specializing in archival work. He served as a solo archivist for the city of Chester, Pennsylvania, and for the Delaware Academy of Medicine in Newark, Delaware, before moving to the Washington area and joining the Gallaudet staff.