Albany, NY -- Preserving New York City's collective memories of the 2001 attack on the World Trade Center and the subsequent city, state and federal response was the subject of a one-day conference entitled The September 11, 2001 World Trade Center Attacks Documentation Efforts – Five Years On. The event, held at the SPCS Woolworth Conference Center and organized by the World Trade Center Documentation Task Force, brought together more than 100 family members and survivors of the attack; first responders; archivists; historians; museum curators, and officials from city, state and federal governments.
The purpose of the program was to discuss evaluate the archival and historical community's efforts currently underway to identify, collect and preserve public and private records that chronicle the attack and its aftermath and to determine future steps necessary to insure that the historical record is as complete as possible for use by future generations.
Presentations held focused on the on-line initiatives of Voices of September 11th, the largest 9/11 survivor’s group; efforts by CUNY/College of Staten Island and Hofstra University to document the effects of the attack on Staten Island and Long Island; federal efforts to save documentation concerning 9/11; and programs of the New York State Archives and New York State Museum, both based in Albany, to collect, catalog and make available to the public documents and artifacts related to the rescue, recovery and response.
The event, additionally, featured a keynote address by Dr. James E. Young entitled, The Stages of Memory at Ground Zero. Dr. Young served on the jury for the World Trade Center Site Memorial and is completing a book on the subject.
"This was a tremendously important event that brought together a group of dedicated organizations, each committed to preserving and promoting public awareness of great tragedy and greater courage," stated New York State Archivist Christine Ward. "Through the efforts of the World Trade Center Task Force, future generations can be assured that much of the information necessary to properly tell the story of New York City in the moments, days, weeks, months and years after the disaster will be available. I want to commend the efforts of all involved in this important project for their efforts on history’s behalf," she said.
Also in attendance and keynoting the event was Archivist of the United States Allen Weinstein, himself a native of New York City. "The National Archives is proud to have an opportunity to participate in this occasion that focuses on one of modern America's most transformational events," Weinstein said. "I applaud the people of New York City and New York State for their efforts in this symposium to focus continued public attention on this nationally defining memory."
The symposium is made possible by funding from the New York State Archives, New York State Archives Partnership Trust, and the National Historical Publications and Records Commission. Administrative support was provided by the Archivists Roundtable of Metropolitan New York, Inc.