Remembering 9/11 Through the New York Public Library
Twenty-five years later, September 11, 2001, is a day many of us still remember vividly. I was 15, walking between classes when I first heard that something had happened. By the time I reached biology class, I had seen the second plane hit the towers live on TV. My teacher looked at all of us and said, “This is not an accident, this is an act of terrorism and this will be documented in history books.”
She was absolutely right. And for the New York Public Library, preserving those memories is part of preserving history.
NYPL's collections include records from the September 11th Fund, research files from New York Times reporters James Glanz and Eric Lipton, and, most recently, the CameraPlanet 9/11 Archive. Acquired in 2025, the archive contains more than 1,200 hours of video documenting 9/11 and its aftermath, including footage filmed during the week of September 11. These collections offer different perspectives on an event that changed New York City and the world. They preserve the work of journalists, the response of organizations, and experiences captured on film so that future generations can learn from them.
NYPL has also continued to create opportunities for younger readers to engage with the history of 9/11, including a 20th-anniversary conversation in 2021 with authors who have written about the events for children and young adults. This year, the New York Public Library has launched a special 25th anniversary conversation feature as part of it's We the People storytelling project, powered by StoryCorps.
History can feel very far away when you didn't live through it yourself, which is yet another reason libraries are so crucial. Books, archives, and libraries help bridge that gap for events like 9/11 and beyond and help provide context beyond our own experiences. Here are some books to help you explore the history, stories of survival, and lasting impact of September 11.
Recs on 9/11 for all ages:
What Were the Twin Towers?
by Jim O'Connor
The popular What Were/Who Was series makes it easy for young readers to learn about important people, places, and events. In What Was the World Trade Center?, O’Connor takes readers from the early history of New York and New Amsterdam through the construction and occupation of the World Trade Center towers. The book also covers the 1993 terrorist attack, 9/11, and the creation of the new World Trade Center and 9/11 Memorial & Museum. Illustrations throughout help bring this history to life.
The Looming Tower
by Lawrence Wright
In this Pulitzer Prize-winning book, Wright traces the origins of al-Qaeda, beginning with Sayyid Qutb, an influential Egyptian member of the Muslim Brotherhood whose visit to America in the late 1940s had a lasting impact. From there, he follows the rise of radical sentiment in parts of the Muslim world and the events that ultimately led Osama bin Laden to target the United States. Wright also examines the intelligence failures that allowed al-Qaeda’s 9/11 attacks to unfold.
Ghost Wars
by Steve Coll
Coll’s book takes a closer look at the CIA’s role in the events that eventually led to 9/11. Beginning in 1979 with the U.S. embassy attack in Islamabad and the Iran hostage crisis, he traces the complicated relationship between the United States and Pakistan, including the CIA’s covert work in the region. When the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, the U.S. focused on pushing back against the Soviets, but the conflict that followed helped shape the region in ways few could have predicted. Coll connects these events to the rise of al-Qaeda and offers a clear, readable look at how the world arrived at 9/11.
The Day the World Came to Town
by Jim DeFede
When U.S. airspace closed on September 11, planes from around the world were suddenly grounded. More than 6,500 passengers ended up in Gander, Newfoundland, a small town with a huge airport originally built for military planes during World War II. The people of Gander welcomed their unexpected guests, providing food, shelter, and care for nearly a week. This book tells the remarkable story of how a small community came together during an incredibly difficult time.
Flight 93
by Tom McMillan
Not every plane reached its target on September 11. Because of delays at Newark Airport, United Flight 93 was still in the air when the first plane hit the World Trade Center. Passengers aboard Flight 93 learned about the attacks unfolding in New York and Washington, DC, and began to understand what was happening. Using firsthand accounts, messages left by passengers, and information from the plane’s cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder, McMillan tells the story of the people aboard Flight 93 and the events that led to the plane’s crash in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. All 40 passengers and crew members on board were killed, but no one on the ground was hurt.
The Memory of Things
by Gae Polisner
Sixteen-year-old Kyle watches the planes hit the World Trade Center from his high school window on September 11. On his long walk home across the Brooklyn Bridge, he finds a girl covered in dust, wearing wings, who can’t remember her own name. He brings her back to his family’s apartment, where the two form an unexpected bond. Kyle’s story is told in a realistic, visceral voice, while the girl’s thoughts come through in poetry. Together, their different perspectives show the many ways people experience and process tragedy while finding comfort in each other.
I Survived the Attacks of September 11, 2001
by Lauren Tarshis
Logan wakes up on September 11 worried about football and determined to find his Uncle Bennie, who he hopes can convince his parents that he shouldn’t have to quit the sport. But both his uncle and his dad are New York City firefighters, and as the day unfolds, Logan quickly realizes that football is no longer what matters most. This is a powerful story about family, growing up, and seeing what really matters when everything changes.
Ordinary Heroes
by Joseph Pfeifer
Pfeifer was the first fire chief to arrive at the World Trade Center on September 11. In this powerful memoir, he recounts coordinating the response from the North Tower, including sending his brother’s firefighting company up the stairs. None of those firefighters would make it back down. He also reflects on the recovery effort at Ground Zero and his role in rebuilding the FDNY in the years that followed. His firsthand account offers a deeply personal look at one of the darkest days in New York City’s history.
In the Shadow of the Fallen Towers
by Don Brown
This YA graphic novel looks at September 11 from many different perspectives. It begins with Chief Pfeifer and a documentarian responding to the attacks in New York, then follows what was happening at the Pentagon, in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and even in a Florida classroom where President Bush first learned about the attacks. Brown also looks at how people around the world responded, from the passengers stranded in Gander to those who traveled to New York to help. The second half focuses on the days and months that followed, including the recovery at Ground Zero, the military response, and the effort to identify those who were lost.
Falling Man
by Don DeLillo
Keith emerges from the chaos of September 11 covered in dust and carrying a briefcase that isn’t his. With nowhere else to go, he heads to his ex-wife’s house, bringing him back into the lives of his former wife and their son. What happened that morning will change all of their lives, as well as the life of the briefcase’s owner. Told alongside Keith’s story are flashbacks to the lives of the 9/11 hijackers, creating a larger picture of the events leading up to that day. The writing is both emotional and vivid, and John Slattery’s audiobook narration makes it even more compelling.
Published Sep 10, 2026
Amanda Patton
Amanda is a creative marketing professional with 18 years of experience creating content across social media, print and digital marketing. She aims to create content that brings attention to public libraries and the important work they do through trending topics, nostalgia, humor, and more. Outside of work, you can find her behind her camera, thrifting, playing the piano, or stopping whatever she’s doing to pet a dog.