February 28, 2023
Master of Library and Information Sciences (MLIS) student Steven Haines (A&S '20, SCI '24G) is using his media archaeological specialization to ensure the survival of rare films and Pittsburgh's cultural heritage.
Haines is the Director of Programming for Pittsburgh Sound + Image, a local nonprofit dedicated to preserving rare films and sharing them with a modern audience.
"I've always had an interest in movies and old stuff, so I naturally became interested in films as a physical medium by my teenage years," said Haines. He synthesized his love for collecting films through his studies as an undergraduate film and media studies major and as an MLIS student at Pitt by working to collect an oral history of Pittsburgh's "independent, amateur, and experimental" filmmaking. Over the past five years, Haines has worked to uncover unheard voices from the region's film industry. Haines said, "I'm constantly talking to people who makde films (and videos!) in the region decades ago. Many of these folks say something like, 'no one's asked about these in years', so if they still have the films, we'll get together. inspect everything, and if it's in shape to be run on a projector, we watch the movies!"
"I've been so immersed in audio-visual archiving for so long, so the MLIS program has been invaluable for introducing me to a lot of the bigger picture concepts and skills that are necessary for a real archives job," said Haines. In particular, Haines noted the support of Miriam Meislik (media curator, Pitt Archives) and Chelsea Gunn (teaching assistant professor, Department of Information Culture and Data Stewardship) who have provided new perspectives for him, especially with ethical issues in the field of film archival.
Haines feels strongly that "a film does no one any good if it's sitting on a shelf unused, so I naturally wanted to share these special films that are difficult (if not impossible) to see otherwise". In 2016, Haines started Flea Market Films, where he began sharing these cultural artifacts with audiences, most of which had not been screened in decades. This principle of the importance of not only preserving but also sharing film was continued in Haines' role as Director of Programming for Pittsburgh Sound + Image, which runs monthly screenings of rare and culturally significant films. Haines said that "Pittsburgh has a long history of this kind of microcinema exhibition...but it's been a while since anyone was really presenting these kinds of movies regularly in Pittsburgh".
Haines' advice to those who also have a passion or interest in preserving their community's film heritage? "Be curious. Every person you talk to, ask them if they ever made films, or were involved in making films. If yes, then ask if you can watch them. Be persistent. If you keep doing a thing long enough...eventually people will start to take notice," Haines said.
Learn more about Pittsburgh Sound + Image and view showtimes here
Learn more about the MLIS program
--Benjamin Briggs, SCI marketing intern