As patrons visit their local Johnson County Branch during the month of September, they may come across an interactive display as they explore the building. To commemorate the 20th anniversary of September 11, 2001, patrons are invited to share their experience of where they were that day.
Interactive displays are not new to the library. In the past, patrons have been invited to respond to the first moon landing in July of 1969 and the Y2K pandemonium of 2000. Patrons have the opportunity to share a memory or story, hear from others, and explore material related to the topic. The goal is to allow patrons to share community experiences in a safe setting.
At 8:46 in the morning on September 11, 2001, the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City was hit by American Airlines Flight 11. Less than one hour later, United Airlines Flight 175 crashed into the South Tower of the World Trade Center. Thirty minutes later, a third plane, American Airlines Flight 77, crashed into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. A final tally reported that 2,977 people were killed in the 9/11 attacks, to this day still the single largest loss of life resulting from a foreign attack on American soil. As we approach twenty years of remembering, reminiscing, or mourning, many individuals continue to seek meaning and rebuild after the events. In 2014, the 9/11 Memorial Museum, opened to the public, only a two-minute walk from the World Trade Center. The museum ‘tells the story of 9/11 through media, narratives, and a collection of monumental and authentic artifacts, presenting visitors with personal stories of loss, recovery, and hope’. Through a partnership with The National Endowment for the Humanities and the American Library Association, a digital poster exhibition has been released to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the events. This exhibition is broken up into dissecting the events of the day, life pre and post 9/11 and the ramifications of the event twenty years later. (Editor’s note: the digital poster exhibit contains graphic depictions of the events of 9/11 and may not be suitable for all audiences.)
Another resource from the museum is their timeline of the day, which begins at 5:45 in the morning, when hijackers passed through security in Maine, to 10:30 that night, when rescue workers were able to rescue a final individual from the Port Authority Police Department. The museum is traditionally open year round, with virtual resources for individuals to learn more about the event and how it continues to impact our lives.
-Heather McCartin, Johnson County Library
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