This blog post features Grace Pryor, the Serial & Government Publications Division intern from the Library’s 2025 Junior Fellows Program. This summer, Grace contributed to the processing of newspaper issues as part of the “A Nation Changed: Preserving the 9/11 Newspaper Collection” project.
In this interview with Joel Mota, Reference Librarian, Newspaper and Current Periodical Reading Room, Grace shares her background, research interests, and internship experience.
Tell us a little about your background. What led you to apply to the Junior Fellows Program?
I am a senior at the College of Wooster in Wooster, Ohio, where I am currently pursuing my Bachelor of Arts in History. American history has been my lifelong love since first grade, when I first started reading my brother’s old books about the presidents; in the past few years, I have started thinking about how to integrate this passion with a career. Conducting my own research in college has made me realize how integral archivists and librarians are to the historical research process, and I began to consider these careers as a path that would allow me to work to preserve history and make it more accessible.
I stumbled upon the Junior Fellows Program while looking for museum and archives-related summer internships. I saw the Junior Fellows Program as a perfect opportunity to gain tangible experience with archival work and see if this path is right for me before I decide to take the next leap to attend professional library school after graduation.
What interested you in the “A Nation Changed: Preserving the 9/11 Newspaper Collection” project?
I was drawn to this project because it combined two of my research interests: American history and working with historical newspapers! I started reading the newspaper every day in seventh grade because I wanted to stay up to date on current events. As a history major, I also frequently use digital newspaper resources like Chronicling America to read historical newspapers for purposes like conducting research, writing papers, and answering my own random questions. I love historical newspapers because you can really see the humanity behind them – especially in the local reporting, letters to the editor, and advertisements! Since most readers are familiar with newspapers, they are an approachable primary source for scholars and the general public alike.
My experience with historical newspapers provided a natural bridge to wanting to learn more about how to preserve them so they can be of value to future generations. I was interested in working with the 9/11 Newspaper Collection in particular because it still feels current and relevant to the public. I hope that a variety of Library patrons will turn to the collection if they want to revisit the events of nearly a quarter century ago.
What are some of the most interesting things you found while working with these newspaper issues?
Working with the 9/11 Newspaper Collection was emotionally heavy, but it also provided a fascinating global snapshot of the days following September 11, 2001. As someone who was born after these events, I found the pure emotion in the newspapers – the headlines, the pictures, the stories – incomparable to any reporting I can recall reading in my lifetime.
I primarily processed newspapers from between September 11 and September 13, so the articles were full of developing information. I thought it was interesting to see the many “extra” editions that were published on the afternoon of the eleventh, as they demonstrate national newsrooms’ dedication to informing their readers as quickly as possible. One regional newspaper mentioned that its extra edition on September 11 was its first since World War 2!
Additionally, though most American newspapers reprinted articles from wire services – especially the Associated Press – about the developing story of the terrorist attacks, most of the original reporting was focused on local responses. These local stories are where the voices of communities shine through the headlines with firsthand accounts. I was struck by how Americans across the country, no matter how far they were from New York or D.C., acted similarly in their mourning. Most local newspapers included articles about droves of people going to church, donating blood, and stocking up on gas at the gas station.
I was also fascinated by global perspectives featured in the international newspapers throughout the collection. Many newspapers used heavily sensationalist angles to grab the attention of readers: British, Italian, and Moroccan papers all had headlines describing the attacks as an “apocalypse.” International newspapers also tended to report from a broader lens, publishing stories like the reactions of American expatriates or responses from world leaders regarding the attacks. These are perspectives I didn’t see in domestic news. The international newspapers make the 9/11 Newspaper Collection more comprehensive, and I think that even people who remember the events of September 11 well could learn more from them.
Are there any other experiences during your internship that you would like to share?
As an onsite Junior Fellows intern, some of my most valued experiences were when I had the opportunity to explore areas of the Library of Congress and engage with staff that work here. Many librarians, both within and outside of the Serial and Government Publications Division, generously spoke to me about their career trajectories and how they came to the Library. Their lived experiences helped me envision potential paths for my future.
The Professional Development Series staff also coordinated onsite tours of different divisions for interns so we could visit a variety of reading rooms and see samplings of collections items. These were probably my favorite experiences of the internship! I loved getting to see the specializations of staff in different divisions and some of the treasures they oversee. Additionally, walking around the stacks in the Adams and Jefferson Buildings with my mentor allowed me to see how expansive the Library’s holdings are. Just the Serial and Government Publication Division’s collections alone are almost incomprehensibly large, and I feel very fortunate to have spent time this summer delving into a fraction of them.
Overall, I am truly grateful for the opportunity to process parts of the 9/11 Newspaper Collection this summer. Though the work was difficult, it was fulfilling. Spending ten weeks at the Library of Congress showed me that I do want to pursue further work in the archives and libraries sphere. Getting to discuss my work with Library staff and members of the public at the Junior Fellows Display Day also showed me that there is a lot of interest in the project. There is still so much more work to do on the 9/11 Newspaper Collection, so I hope my work serves as a solid foundation for the future.
Additional Resources
For more information about the 9/11 Newspaper Collection, make sure to review the “Witness and Response, September 11 Acquisitions at the Library of Congress” commemorative display and read the “September 11, 2001: 20 Years Later: A Remembrance in Newspapers” blog post.
If you have a saved newspaper from September 11, 2001 that you would be interested in donating to the Library’s collections, please check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
For additional research materials related to this collection, review the September 11, 2001 Web Archive and stay tuned for the upcoming September 11, 2001 Newspaper Collection research guide.
Comments (2)
This sounds so exciting! I am currently in grad school for library science. I am caught between archival work or reference librarian work as my concentration. I have taken two reference classes and loved them. But archives was in the back of my mind! Now I’m taking archival management for small repositories and I love it! I can visualize myself somewhere, examining materials, doing preservation work, and assisting in cataloging. Thank you for sharing!
Congratulations, Grace, on such a meaningful contribution to the library’s work. Your reflections on the 9/11 Newspaper Collection truly highlight how vital it is to preserve both the headlines and the local voices from that time. I was living in Washington, D.C. and working in corporate sales for United Airlines on September 11th, and those events left an indelible mark on me and my family. My son was only five, and he remembers 9/11 as the first national tragedy he lived through. Reading about your efforts remind me of the importance of safeguarding these newspapers. They preserve the emotions, responses, and resilience of that time in print, offering a record for America and for the world to see, ensuring that both those who lived through 9/11 and future generations can learn from its history and impact.