There was a time when tears would simply flow down Joe Guidice's cheek.
"Yeah, I cried a lot," she recalled. "Just about every time I came into this room."
She has spent nearly every day since the Dallas police ambush working in a cold basement room at Dallas' Central library.
It's where all of the items left at a makeshift memorial for the officers killed in the 7/7 ambush were taken.
"There are a lot of hearts in this collection. I think that's what people were trying to express," Guidice said.
There are hand-made items, cards, and letters. The team has been working to catalog everything, and have counted 10,000 letters.
In the days that followed the ambush, some even left toys at the makeshift memorial in front of Dallas police headquarters.
A year after the July 7 tragedy, items are still showing up. The Hot Springs, Arkansas Police Department sent a bench that bares the names and faces of each officer that passed away that night.
It's among the items the library's team will continue to sort as they preserve history.
"Ultimately, this was a tragedy, but I think the result just shows the resolve & resiliency of people to come together," said Brian Collins with city's History and Archives division.
"Seeing it there and seeing it here now I feel a really great sense of accomplishment."
An accomplishment they hope will ultimately bring about healing.