Here are a wide variety of resources that can help you in caring for your mementos from 9/11. Also listed are several organizations, most created in response to 9/11, that may answer questions, offer support, or provide resources to help you with issues related to 9/11.
Glossary of Terms
If you find terms or concepts you are unfamiliar with in our website or elsewhere that are related to saving and preserving documents and objects, be sure to consult our glossary on this website.
A Glossary of Archival and Records Terminology, produced by the Society of American Archivists. This is a very complete, searchable, online list of terms related to archives.
Art and Architecture Thesaurus (AAT)
The scope of this thesaurus is art, architecture, and material culture, the kinds of things museums collect. It is easy to search for the definition of a word you want to understand, but a thesaurus is more complicated than a dictionary or glossary, so it may help to read the AAT’s introduction to help you make full use of it.
FAQs - Coming Soon.
Answers to generally relevant questions that may be useful to others will be posted anonymously on our upcoming Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). To submit your questions, whether or not they may be likely to be of interest to others, please Contact Us.
*All the websites listed elsewhere on this site are included here as well and are marked with an asterisk (*).
American Institute for Conservation
The best source to help you find a conservator in your area is the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works. The AIC is the national membership organization for the conservation profession in the United States. It plays a leadership role in setting professional standards, promoting research in the field, and providing reliable resources for the public.
AIC’s website will help you learn what questions to ask potential conservators and what to expect when working with them. In the section titled “Finding a Conservator,” you can use their simple questionnaire to help you locate conservators in your geographical area who specialize in particular materials, such as documents, furniture, costumes, or paintings.
Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts
The Conservation Center specializes in the treatment of art and historic artifacts on paper. Established in 1977, CCAHA is one of the largest non-profit regional conservation labs in the country.
Image Permanence Institute
The Image Permanence Institute (IPI) is a recognized world leader in the development and deployment of sustainable practices for the preservation of images through research, education, products, and services.
Library of Congress
This website provides simple instructions, as well as links to more comprehensive information for “Preparing, Protecting, Preserving” many types of family treasures.
Northeast Document Conservation Center
The NEDCC is a nonprofit, regional conservation center specializing in the preservation of paper-based materials. NEDCC serves libraries, archives, museums, historical societies, and other collections-holding institutions, as well as private collections.
Particularly note the resources, which include Preservation Leaflets and Resources for Private and Family Collections.
Simon Mayo’s Bar of Soap The British Museum, in partnership with the BBC, is building a digital museum to tell a history of our world in objects. When asked to contribute something meaningful to the virtual collection, Simon Mayo, a BBC radio broadcaster, added a bar of soap from the World Trade Center. In this video Mayo speaks movingly about the significance of this seemingly mundane object, and shows how everyday things can evoke strong emotions and become mementos of world-changing events.
Society for American Archivists
The Society of American Archivists is North America's oldest and largest national archival professional association. SAA's mission is to serve the educational and informational needs of more than 5,000 individual and institutional members and to provide leadership to ensure the identification, preservation, and use of records of historical value.
Caring for Your Collections: Preserving and Protecting Your Art and Other Collectibles. National Committee to Save America's Cultural Collections. New York, New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1992.
Long, Richard W. Caring for Your Family Treasures: Heritage Preservation. New York, New York: Harry N. Abrams, 2000.
Ogden, Sherelyn, ed. Preservation of Library and Archival Materials: a Manual. Third edition. Andover, MA: Northeast Document Conservation Center, 1999.
Reilly, James M. Care and Identification of 19th Century Photographic Prints. Rochester: Eastman Kodak Company, 1986.
Schultz, Arthur W., ed. Caring for Your Collections. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1992.
Wilhelm, Henry. The Permanence and Care of Color Photographs. Grinnell, IA: Preservation Publishing Company, 1993.
*"9/11: Commemorative Art, Ritual, and Story" by Steven Zeitlin and Ilana Harlow from Voices: The Journal of New York Folklore, Fall-Winter 2001 provides a moving and unusual perspective on the community dimensions of grieving that might be helpful to people thinking about what to save.
*Caring for Your Treasures: Matting and Framing Works of Art and Artifacts on Paper, from the American Institute for Conservation condenses information about matting and framing to a 2-page PDF.
A Consumer Guide for the Recovery of Water-Damaged Traditional and Digital Prints, a preservation tool in PDF from the Image Permanence Institute.
A Consumer Guide to Modern Photo Papers, a preservation tool in PDF from the Image Permanence Institute.
A Consumer Guide to Traditional and Digital Print Stability, a preservation tool in PDF from the Image Permanence Institute.
*A Guide to Deeds of Gift, a small brochure from the Society of American Archivists that explains this important document, which is required when donating any kind of item to a repository.
*“Hallowed Ground” with photographs by Martha Cooper from Voices: The Journal of New York Folklore, Fall-Winter 2001 provides a moving and unusual perspective on the community dimensions of grieving that might be helpful to people thinking about what to save.
*My History Is America’s History: 15 Things You Can Do to Save America’s Stories, a 104-page publication of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
*Save Family Treasures from Soot from the National Institute for Preservation Heritage Preservation provides advice on dealing specifically with materials damaged by soot. Conservation experts say prompt, gentle attention is best. A six minute video is included.
The following companies sell preservation supplies such as folders, storage boxes and polyester enclosures. Inclusion on the list does not imply endorsement by the New York State Archives, nor does omission indicate censure.
Archival Products
P. O. Box 1413
Des Moines, IA 50306-1413
800-526-5640
www.archival.com
Gaylord Brothers
P.O. Box 4901
Syracuse, New York 13321-4901
800-962-9580
www.gaylord.com
Hollinger Metal Edge
Archival Storage Materials
6340 Bandini Boulevard
Commerce, California 90040
800-862-2228
www.metaledgeinc.com
Light Impressions
P. O. Box 2100
Santa Fe Springs, California 90670
800-828-6216
www.lightimpressionsdirect.com
University Products
The Archival Company
517 Main Street, PO Box 101
Holyoke, Massachusetts 01040
800-628-1912
www.archivalsuppliers.com
Specs Bros.
Video and Audio Tape Restoration
P.O. Box 195
Lodi, NJ 07644
800-852-7732
www.specsbros.com
HAVE, Inc.
Multimedia Services
350 Power Avenue
Hudson, NY 12534
888-999-4283
www.haveinc.com
Families of September 11th
Families of September 11th is a non-profit organization started by family members of those who died in the September 11th attacks. Families of September 11th seeks to support families and children by offering updated information on issues of interest, access to resources, relevant articles, and advocacy to raise awareness about the effects of terrorism and public trauma. In addition, the organization seeks to provide support to victims of terrorism worldwide.
*Families of September 11th – Wellness Resources
This webpage lists websites and organizations that you might find helpful when facing the emotional challenges inherent in deciding what to save and how to save it.
The Massachusetts 9-11 Fund
The Massachusetts 9-11 Fund is a non-profit corporation devoted to supporting the families with ties to Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island who lost loved ones in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. This support comes in the form of direct services, information and referral, community building and advocacy.
National September 11 Memorial and Museum
The National September 11 Memorial & Museum is a private not-for-profit, responsible for oversight of the design, raising the necessary funds, programming and operating the Memorial & Museum being built at the World Trade Center site.
The September 11, 2001, Documentary Project
The day after the attacks, the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress called upon the nation’s folklorists and ethnographers to collect, record, and document America’s reaction. A sampling of the material collected through this effort can be found on this website. The heartfelt reactions, eyewitness accounts, and diverse opinions of Americans and others in the months that followed the terrorist attacks are captured in this online presentation of almost 200 audio and video interviews, 45 graphic items, and 21 written narratives.
*September 11 Digital Archive: Saving the Histories of September 11, 2001
The September 11 Digital Archive uses electronic media to collect, preserve, and present the history of September 11, 2001 and its aftermath. The Archive contains more than 150,000 digital items(including more than 40,000 emails and other electronic communications), more than 40,000 first-hand stories, and more than 15,000 digital images. In September 2003, the Library of Congress accepted the Archive into its collections, an event that both ensured the Archive's long-term preservation.
September 11th Families Association
September 11th Families Association supports victims of terrorism through communication, representation, and peer support. Their mission is to unite the 9/11 community, present evolving issues, and to share resources for long-term recovery.
Tribute WTC Visitor Center
Tribute WTC Visitor Center offers visitors to the World Trade Center site a place where they can connect with people from the September 11th community. Through walking tours, exhibits and programs, the Tribute WTC Visitor Center offers "Person to Person History," linking visitors who want to understand and appreciate these historic events with those who experienced them.
Voices of September 11th
VOICES of September 11th (VOICES) advocates and provides services for those affected by the events of September 11, 2001. It promotes public policy reform on prevention, preparedness and response to terrorism. Through its work, VOICES strives to build bridges between international communities changed forever by terrorism. VOICES provides information, outreach and programs to more than 7,000 members. In 2006, VOICES launched the 9/11 Living Memorial digital archive, to commemorate the lives and stories of September 11, 2001 and the February 26, 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
*Where to Turn – Counseling Services
This website provides crisis relief services for victims of any kind of tragedy by aiding them in obtaining the help they need during the recovery process. This link takes you directly to a list of counseling resources in the 9/11 section of the site.
