IU Libraries Film Archive showcases films at The Bishop Bar

A library and a bar never seemed to have much in common, until now.

IU Libraries Film Archive and The Bishop Bar collaborated to create an educational film series titled “Social Guidance Sundays,” presented for free at 8 p.m. Sunday at The Bishop.

Graduate student Jay McClurg worked with IU film archivist Rachael Stoeltje to select educational films from the 1950s to screen to the public.

Stoeltje said McClurg approached her with the idea to increase awareness of the collection.

“He’s been thinking about outreach ideas and more exposure in different venues than just traditional cinema settings,” Stoeltje said. “He proposed it.”

The short films were chosen from the 48,000 educational films stored in the IU Libraries Film Archive, according to its website.

Stoeltje said she suggested 12 titles from which McClurg could choose to screen at The Bishop. McClurg worked with fellow students Josephine McRobbie and Asia Harman to choose the films.

Titles of the films include self-help topics such as “How To Be Well Groomed,” “Gossip” and “Are You Popular?”

To complement the screening, the students created an interactive bingo game for viewers to fill out while watching the films.

“This is one of those times it’s good to turn over to some fun, enthusiastic, creative people who are excited about it,” Stoeltje said.

Out of the titles to be shown, Stoeltje said “Are You Popular?” is one of her favorites.

“It’s in a high school setting, and it’s explaining why some girls are popular and other girls are not,” she said. “It’s sort of modeling how you, too, can be popular. It’s a real treat.”

Stoeltje said students have enjoyed past screenings of the films.

“I think they think it’s sort of quaint and funny to think about instructing people on social behavior,” she said. “It’s really foreign. Things like ‘What To Do On A Date’ seem completely outdated, but sort of sweet in their own right.”

McClurg initially proposed the idea as a monthly event, Stoeltje said. She said this Sunday’s screening is a way to measure interest for a possible monthly series.

“If people come and enjoy it, we have a huge number of films like this,” Stoeltje said. “I’m open to that if the audience likes it.”