Remembering September 11

By: Stephanie Morrissette

Many of us can remember when the World Trade Center towers were attacked on September 11, 2001. Many of us can remember exactly where we were and what we were doing. Many of us were frightened for our families, our children, our friends, and our country. No contrails marked the sky where airplanes had been. The air space over the entire nation was empty, eerie, and silent. Only the sun and the clouds held the blue sky.

Many businesses closed early. Mothers and fathers went to gather children and take them home to safety. The first of the first responders ran towards the devastation while survivors ran away. The dust and the smoke swirled through the street as photocopy papers littered the streets and sent people coughing and sputtering for any help that would come. Shock covered their ashen faces as they clutched each other in fear. Mourning had not yet begun.

The stories of firefighters, EMTs, police, military, and service animals flood our shelves. We have true accounts from witnesses and survivors. Their testimony to the strength of our nation endures, years after the tragedy. This act of terror changed our entire perspective on safety and security. “Never Forget” became our motto as a country. We rebuilt the towers, and with respect for those we lost, we built a memorial in their honor at Ground Zero.

September 11 became a day of remembrance, and at CDPL we honor those memories. You may visit our second-floor display for books on all aspects of the experience, from personal diaries to first responder accounts. You may start your journey with September 11: A Testimony (973.931 Sep), and One Nation: America Remembers September 11, 2001 (973.931 One) both seeking to register a visual history of tragedy and triumph for our Nation.

Never Forget: An Oral History of September 11, 2001 (973.931 Fin) by Mitchell Fink is a collection of poignant stories of loss, heartache, and survival, in the words of those closest to the unfolding tragedy. Ordinary Heroes: A Memoir of 9/11 (973.931 Pfe) by Joseph Pfeifer and Last Man Down: Firefighters Story of Survival and Escape from the World Trade Center by Richard Picciotto (363.3497 Pic) share firsthand accounts of this day as told by members of the New York Fire Department.

Portraits 9/11/01: Collected “Portraits of Grief” from NYT (974.7 Por) bring home the message of mourning survivors suffered as NYT reporters crafted profiles of the lives lost in the attacks on the World Trade Center. Women at Ground Zero: Stories of Courage and Compassion (973.931 Wom) is a collection of first-person stories told by female firefighters, police officers, paramedics, EMTs, and others who responded to the events of September 11 and its aftermath. Official documents like the 9/11 Commission Report: The Final Report of the National Commission on Terror Attacks (973.931 Nat) compile public hearings and consequent recommendations provided by government agencies.

Please visit CDPL for a look into our September 11 collection and join us in acknowledging all the sacrifices made by those who serve. The library is open Monday through Thursday, 9 am-9 pm; Fridays and Saturdays 9 am-5 pm; Sundays 1 pm-5 pm.

-Stephanie Morrissette is an avid naturalist and is a Library Assistant at the Reference and Local History Department at CDPL.