Michael Janakis, MLIS was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and is of Sicilian, Calabrian, Greek, Carpatho-Rusyn, Polish, German, and Irish ancestry. Many of his ancestors worked (and died) in the steel mills. He grew up listening to his grandfather tell him stories of Pittsburgh “back in the day”, and has always closely identified with his “Pittsburgh” heritage.

Michael attended St. John’s College in Annapolis, Maryland, where he studied the classical Liberal Arts through “the” rigorous Great Books program. St. John’s College’s Annapolis campus was rated the 8^th most rigorous college in the nation in 2011. All St. John’s students earn a BA with a double major in Philosophy and History of Mathematics & Science, with double minors in Classics and Comparative Literature.

Michael then attended the University of Pittsburgh’s iSchool for his Master of Library & Information Science (MLIS), where he completed such work as a semester-long independent research paper entitled “Deep Roots, Long Memories: East Pittsburgh African American Libraries and Their Environments” and several archival classes.

After working at Duquesne University’s Gumberg Library for several years, including 2 years as a Research & Instruction Librarian, Michael chose create his own businesses, including Steel City Heritage Services and his editing/consulting business Pittsburgh Proofreading & Information Consulting Company.

Michael has also completed a Certificate in Applied Orthodox Theology through the St. Stephen’s Program from the Antiochian House of Studies. It is a rigorous 3 year self-directed distance program which requires a large amount of independent reading and writing.

Michael is currently working on completing his Master of Theology (Th.M) in Applied Orthodox Theology through the St. Stephen’s Program from the Antiochian House of Studies in cooperation with Balamand University in Lebanon (anticipated 2021). He is working on his thesis on the practical spiritual aspects of loving one’s enemies.

In the future, Michael plans to seek genealogical accreditation from the Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG).