In the days following September 11, the Long Island Studies Institute at Hofstra University began collecting materials that reflected the Long Island response to the tragedy.

They collected emails that people sent to their friends and loved ones to let them know they were alive. They collected the emergency responders' gear and newspapers' biographical essays of those who had died and the accounts of those who escaped. Any shred of evidence that portrayed how the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center affected the people of Long Island was compiled into the exhibit, The September 11th Project: Voiceless in the Presence of Realities.

The website, www.hofstra.edu/COM/Museum, explains "The photographs, sculptures and paintings that we chose show the depth of emotion we feel, as well as our need to depict our unease. And that although we are sometimes voiceless, we have many emotions we want to share. That although our words might not be adequate, we do remember, we do feel, and we do grieve."

The project's co-curator, Geri E. Solomon, assistant dean of special collections, said she had the idea over a year ago that an exhibition should be held for the fifth anniversary.

"I've been collecting 9/11 materials since shortly after 9/11, then received two different grants to work on specific aspects of the collection of materials related to 9/11," she added. "The grant we received in 2005 allowed us to find out where memorials were located all over Long Island. It also allowed us to find out what the artistic community was doing in response to 9/11."

Solomon said this exhibition is important to all Long Islanders.

"I think all of us have felt the pain of loss in some way and we need to know that we have marked that loss in some way. There are over 150 memorials on Long Island, so obviously, people are interested in/concerned with marking and remembering this significant time in our nation's history."

Bob Harrison of East Meadow has 17 of his photographs chosen for the display. Artistically speaking, his photograph of Holy Rood Cemetery is his favorite.

A photographer for 35 years, Harrison has numerous awards and exhibits under his belt.

A few years ago, Harrison photographed various places of worship in Nassau County for a Newsday article. He was hired by the Long Island Studies Institute through a New York State grant.

"That's probably one of the reasons they wanted me for this, because I know the geography of Long Island," he added. "I specialize in documentation photography. Not that many people are aware of what memorials were out there and how many there were. It interconnects the people of the island to one common theme - their loss. I thought it was very important to document the fallen heroes and what tributes people gave to them."

Beth Goldberg of Massapequa painted a mural that is on display at the gallery.

The collection includes artifacts such as hard hats, gloves, respirators, boots, a pickax, and a hoe used by Long Island residents who worked in the recovery effort on the Sept. 11th and in the days and weeks following the attacks. Also included is one of the banners that hung at the WTC site to encourage the rescue/recovery workers, which is emblazoned with the word "teamwork" and a biblical quote.

There are three memorials in Levittown, all located on Gardiners Avenue. Both Abbey Lane and Gardiners Avenue Schools and the Levittown Fire Department Headquarters all have tributes on display.

In front of the Levittown Fire Department dispatch office there is a podium and plaque dedicated to Ronald Kerwin. Kerwin was the department chief and a FDNY lieutenant at the time of the attacks. Bricks etched with memorials surround the podium.

In Farmingdale, the Farmingdale Community Summit created Farmingdale Remembers, an annual observance commemorating the events of 9/11 that seeks to honor those members of their community who perished in the Twin Towers. Three monuments were placed on the grounds of the Farmingdale Public Library, including one that lists the names of all Farmingdale residents lost on 9/11.

A Long Island 9/11 Memorial is also planned on the site of Farmingdale State University. Its purpose is to form a tribute to all Long Island victims, fashion a place for all Long Islanders to think, feel and heal, and create a dedicated museum to mark the event in history.

In Memorial Park in Mineola a monument was constructed with funds raised by an Eagle Scout for his Eagle Scout Project.

Holy Rood Cemetery in Westbury has 50 gravesites belonging to those who lost their lives on 9/11.

Garden City's Village Green on Hilton Avenue bears a stone inscribed with the names of residents who perished on 9/11.

In Floral Park, Heritage Park was created. People can buy bricks and have a 9/11 victim's name inscribed on it and placed in the park.

A bench placed in New Hyde Park Memorial Park was dedicated to fallen New York City Firefighter Michael F. Lynch of Ladder No. 4.

Eisenhower Park in East Meadow will be home to a Nassau County 9/11 Memorial, which is scheduled to open by the end of the year.

Towering replicas of the World Trade Center, one draped with a hand sewn American flag, sat atop a platform in the main lobby of the Jericho Middle/High School complex, located at 99 Cedar Swamp Rd. Surrounding the base of the Twin Towers were the names of the 2,749 victims who perished during 9/11.

There is a 9/11 memorial garden in Oyster Bay at the Western Waterfront. The funding was provided by New York State Senator Carl Marcellino. The monument lists the names of local residents who died in the attack on the Twin Towers.

There is also a Memorial Garden in front of the Theodore Roosevelt Elementary School that honors the memory of Oyster Bay resident Brooke Jackman.

The Long Island Studies Institute, a cooperative endeavor of Hofstra University and Nassau County, is a major center for the study of Long Island local and regional history. The Institute collections include the Nassau County Museum collection, which had been at Eisenhower Park, and Hofstra University's James N. MacLean Nassau County American Legion Memorial collection. The combined resources constitute a rich repository for local history research. The reference collection includes books, photographs, newspapers, maps, census records, genealogies, government documents, manuscripts and audiovisual materials. There is a permanent collection of materials at the Long Island Studies Institute.

Voiceless in the Presence of Realities will be on display through Dec. 10 in the Emily Lowe Gallery, located in Lowe Hall at Hofstra University.