Who is Daniel Ransom from Jeopardy? Meet the San Francisco Librarian and Santa Clara University Education Leader

Daniel Ransom is an academic librarian and information-literacy specialist from San Francisco, California, appearing on Jeopardy! as a contestant in October 2026. Although the game show identifies him simply as a librarian, his professional background includes more than 15 years of experience in higher education, academic research, library instruction and educational leadership.

Ransom has worked at several institutions across the San Francisco Bay Area, including California College of the Arts, Holy Names University and the University of San Francisco. His career has focused on helping students and faculty locate reliable information, develop research skills and understand how to evaluate sources critically.

In September 2026, Ransom prepared to begin a new professional chapter as Head of Instruction Services at Santa Clara University Library. The appointment represented a move into a senior leadership position after years of experience teaching information literacy and supporting academic research.

Daniel Ransom Became Head of Instruction Services at Santa Clara University

One of the most significant developments in Ransom’s career came in September 2026, when his departure from California College of the Arts was announced.

He was scheduled to leave CCA at the end of September to become Head of Instruction Services at Santa Clara University Library. The new position builds on his experience designing and delivering research instruction, collaborating with university faculty and helping students develop the skills needed for academic work.

Instruction services are an important part of university libraries. Rather than simply providing access to books and databases, librarians working in this area teach students how to develop research questions, locate appropriate materials, assess credibility and use information responsibly.

Ransom’s move to Santa Clara University reflects his longstanding interest in the educational side of librarianship. His career has consistently emphasized the importance of teaching people how to find and understand information rather than merely directing them toward particular resources.

He Previously Worked at California College of the Arts

Before his move to Santa Clara University, Ransom served as an Instructional Services Librarian at California College of the Arts.

CCA is an institution specializing in art, design, architecture and creative disciplines. Providing research support in that environment requires knowledge of a particularly diverse range of subjects and research methods.

Ransom worked with students and faculty to develop information-literacy skills and improve academic research practices. He also collaborated with instructors to design library sessions, assignments and teaching strategies.

His responsibilities included maintaining research guides covering architecture, archives, graphic design, illustration, industrial design, geographic information systems and contemporary art.

Other guides addressed citation practices, including MLA and Chicago styles, as well as specialized subjects such as contemporary art of the Arab world and research for graduate design programs.

The breadth of these materials demonstrates how academic librarians must often become familiar with subjects far outside their own original academic training.

Daniel Ransom Worked at Holy Names University in Oakland

Earlier in his career, Ransom worked at Holy Names University in Oakland, California.

He served as Librarian for Research and Electronic Resources at the university’s Paul J. Cushing Library.

His responsibilities combined research assistance, information-literacy teaching and the management of electronic resources.

Electronic-resource management is an increasingly important part of modern librarianship because university libraries provide access to large collections of academic journals, databases, digital books and specialized research tools.

Ransom’s work involved helping students and faculty navigate these systems while also ensuring that resources remained accessible and useful.

His time at Holy Names University helped establish the professional interests that would continue throughout his career, particularly instruction, reference services and academic-library leadership.

He Was Selected for the American Library Association Emerging Leaders Program

In 2014, Ransom was selected for the American Library Association’s Emerging Leaders program.

The initiative provides professional-development opportunities for librarians and library workers who demonstrate leadership potential.

As a member of the 2014 class, Ransom participated in a project examining how an American Library Association division could improve its use of social media.

The project considered how professional organizations could communicate more effectively with members, encourage participation and develop future leaders.

His selection reflected his growing involvement in the wider library profession beyond his regular university responsibilities.

Ransom has also participated in the American Library Association, the Association of College & Research Libraries and California Academic & Research Libraries.

Daniel Ransom Studied Theater, History and Library Science

Ransom’s educational background combines the humanities with professional library training.

He attended the University of California, Santa Cruz, from approximately 1995 to 1999, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Theater Arts and History.

His undergraduate studies provided a foundation in historical research, interpretation, performance and communication.

He later attended San José State University, where he completed a Master of Library and Information Science between approximately 2007 and 2009.

The MLIS qualification prepared him for a professional career involving research services, information organization, academic libraries and library instruction.

Ransom also participated in the Association of College and Research Libraries’ Immersion Program in 2012, receiving additional professional development in information-literacy teaching and educational practice.

His Early Career Included an Internship at the University of San Francisco

Before establishing himself as an academic librarian, Ransom completed an internship in the Reference Department at the University of San Francisco’s Gleeson Library.

The experience allowed him to develop practical skills in reference services and classroom instruction.

Colleagues praised his ability to teach library skills to university students, along with his intelligence, enthusiasm, humor and thoughtful approach to the profession.

His early success in instructional work foreshadowed the direction of his later career.

Rather than concentrating exclusively on collection management or technical library operations, Ransom developed a particular interest in working directly with students and helping them become better researchers.

Daniel Ransom Is Interested in Ancient Libraries and Library History

One of the more distinctive aspects of Ransom’s professional interests is his fascination with library history.

He has written about historical approaches to organizing knowledge and how they relate to modern information literacy.

Ransom has maintained or contributed to a website called The Pinakes, a name inspired by the ancient Greek catalog associated with the Library of Alexandria.

The original Pinakes is traditionally connected with Callimachus, an ancient Greek scholar and poet associated with the organization of the Library of Alexandria’s collections.

Ransom once identified Callimachus as a personal hero, highlighting his interest in the history of information organization.

He has also presented professionally on how lessons from library history can inform contemporary approaches to teaching research and information literacy.

Cycling and Rugby Are Among His Personal Interests

Outside his professional work, Ransom has expressed enthusiasm for cycling and rugby.

He has said that he played rugby for more than a decade, accumulating several scars along the way.

Cycling is another longstanding interest. In a lighthearted professional profile, he identified burritos and bikes among his favorite things.

He has even incorporated cycling into his professional writing.

In one article about networking, Ransom compared developing relationships within librarianship to competitive cycling, arguing that professional success often depends on building supportive relationships with peers.

The analogy illustrates his tendency to connect personal experiences with broader lessons about professional development.

Daniel Ransom Brings Research Expertise to Jeopardy

Ransom’s appearance on Jeopardy! follows a career devoted to research, education and critical thinking.

Academic librarians regularly encounter unfamiliar subjects and must learn how to locate, evaluate and organize information across different disciplines.

Ransom’s experience at California College of the Arts, Holy Names University and Santa Clara University has required him to work with subjects ranging from architecture and design to history, technology and the humanities.

His undergraduate education in theater and history, graduate training in library science and longstanding interest in ancient scholarship add further variety to his background.

For viewers, Ransom represents a profession closely associated with the skills that Jeopardy! celebrates: curiosity, research, knowledge and the ability to make connections between different subjects.