Published: Sept. 7, 2021

On the 20th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, the University Libraries remembers the nearly 3,000 lives that were lost on that day. Some of us on campus recall these events vividly, while others may not yet have been born. Still, the magnitude of that loss weighs heavily on us all. We have curated a list of resources to help give context the tragic events of that day. If you have questions about government document research, Ask a Librarian.

Resources

The cover of the 9/11 commission report

9/11 Commission Report

The 9/11 commission report provides a full and complete account of the circumstances surrounding the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, including preparedness for, and the immediate response to, the attacks.

The Great Seal of the United States

The Patriot Act

The Patriot Act was enacted in direct response to the September 11 attacks, as well as the 2001 anthrax attacks, with the stated goal of dramatically strengthening national security.

A map of response efforts.

September 11 Map Acquisitions at the Library of Congress

The Library of Congress' Geography and Map Division concentrated on documenting the role maps played in managing the recovery effort.

Image Source: WTC – Thermal Imagery, February 12, 2002. New York State, Office for Technology (c2001) and EarthData International. www.loc.gov/exhibits/911/911-maps.html#obj001

The Great Seal of the United States

ProQuest Congressional: Legislative & Executive Publications

This is the Government Information collection’s primary resource for Congressional information related to the attacks, the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the resulting government legislation and executive policies after 9/11. This database includes all of the Congressional hearings, bills and laws, debates, research service reports (CRS), and Executive actions and proclamations related to 9/11. Pro tip! Limit your search to CRS Reports or Hearings for the most relevant and accessible results.

Still image from the BBC special, 9/11: Truth, Lies and Conspiracies

Security Issues Online

This is a subscription database of videos from the BBC, CNN, and more popular media sources. It includes videos such as “9/11: Truth, Lies, and Conspiracies”, “Shadow of Afghanistan” and “The Changing Face of Terror."

THe statue of liberty in the foreground, twin lights in the background, representing the fallen World Trade Center towers.

The September 11 Digital Archive

This is a Project of the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media and American Social History Project/Center for Media and Learning with first-hand accounts, emails and other electronic communications, digital photographs and artworks, and a range of other digital materials related to the attacks on 9/11.

Image source: “5.pjpeg,” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed September 7, 2021, https://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/23.

Candles with the text, you will never be forgotten, september 11, 2001.

Library of Congress 9/11 Web Archive

This is an archive of captured websites from governmental, educational, non-profit, media, and many other entities after 9/11 and through the subsequent year. This is a unique opportunity for students to see and feel how the Internet responded to the 9/11 attacks.

Image source: (2001) You Will Never Be Forgotten -- A Tribute. United States. [Web Archive] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/lcwaN0021603/.

An image of the 9/11 Memorial and Museum

The 9/11 Memorial & Museum

The National September 11 Memorial & Museum is a memorial and museum in New York City commemorating the September 11, 2001 attacks. The memorial is located at the World Trade Center site, the former location of the Twin Towers that were destroyed during the September 11 attacks.

Image source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:September_11th_Memorial_and_Muse..., user:Aspensti, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons