September 11, 2001, Documentary Project (U.S. Library of Congress)
Reviewed by: Cathy Melamed
Review date: February 21, 2025
Site Link: https://www.loc.gov/collections/september-11th-2001-documentary-project/about-this-collection/
Archive Link: https://archive.ph/Mre6b
Keywords: Media Studies, Preservation, Historic Artefacts, September 11
Data Sources:
- Over 8100 manuscript materials
- Audio/visual recordings of 800 interviews
- Over 400 graphic and photographic works
- 15 electronic media artifacts
- 38 physical artifacts
Processes:
- All artefacts have been digitized
Presentation:
The September 11, 2001, Documentary Project is an online collection of written, graphic, audio and video artefacts created in the months that followed the September 11 terrorist attacks. The home page features a 10-pane carousel of photographs and audio highlights; a description of the collection; links to a page of Related Resources and pages on the U.S. Library of Congress website; a search engine; and social media sharing buttons. Visitors have the option to listen to the page.
Digital Tools Used:
- PHP
- CentOS
- JavaScript
- MediaElement.js
- Apache HTTP Server
- Sentry
- Amazon Web Services
- Read Speaker
- HSTS
- Adobe Experience Platform Launch
- Cloudflare
- Amazon SE
Languages:
- English
Review
The September 11, 2001, Documentary Project presents a wide variety of digitized media and artwork from the U.S. Library of Congress (LOC) collection of artefacts related to the terrorist attacks of that day. The Documentary Project site features 200 audio and video interviews, 45 graphic items and 21 written narratives. The complete LOC collection was an initiative of its American Folklife Center which, in 1941, captured national sentiment after the Pearl Harbor attack through images and interviews. Similarly, the Documentary Project’s goal is to present a diverse cross-section of perspectives from people affected by the September 11 attacks to serve as “a historical and cultural resource for future generations.” The contributions range from interviews with those who survived the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks to the reactions of those around the U.S. and around the world who learned about the events through family or through the media.
Some of the first images that appear on the Documentary Project’s home page are colorful children’s illustrations of unimaginably sad subjects: broken, tearful towers set against a brilliant blue sky, and a bright American flag on a homemade sympathy card. There are handwritten goodbye letters to a mother, and an image of a poem called “The Towers,” left at a memorial site. After the September 11 attacks, a tremendous outpouring of national grief was recorded on paper and in photographs: “Missing” flyers, swarms of handwritten sticky notes, publicly posted tributes, and more. Later, people shared their painful memories of the day on audio and video. These items, collected by the Library of Congress, have become some of the artefacts shared by the Documentary Project.
As each artefact has its own history and contains its own message, each is best viewed individually. All have been meticulously catalogued with source and format information, physical and digital locations, and detailed descriptions. The audio and video artefacts are authentic and moving, featuring both adults and children, service people and civilians.
The collection is professionally organized and easy to navigate. The extensive filter options will be useful for researchers and educators in locating specific types of artefacts without having to spend time looking through countless files. A helpful addition to the audio and video items would be transcripts, which would allow visitors to quickly preview content to see if it fits their interests.
How are the collaborative aspects reflected in the project, and are there elements that work particularly well?
The project is a collaborative effort by design, as all materials were solicited from or shared by the public. The Library of Congress’s preservation and cataloguing systems help record and standardize material collected by the American Folklife Center.
Do you see an opportunity for collaboration that would be helpful to the project?
Collaborating with educators to create pedagogical materials seems a natural partnership.