Bruce Springsteen fans surrounding Monmouth University now have an opportunity to get a closer to the life and works of “The Boss,” thanks to the relocation of Springsteen’s large memorabilia collection.
The collection was recently moved from The Asbury Park Library to a site on campus due to storage issues in Asbury. The massive collection, dating back to 1949, contains over 14,000 books, tourbooks, newspaper clippings, magazines, concert programs, and other historic memorabilia. It is certainly something a true Bruce fan would want to see.
Springsteen fans have to make an appointment in order to gain access to the collection due to the importance of preserving each piece of memorabilia. After an appointment is made, it is recommended that the researcher view the Springsteen Collection site and complete a Researcher Registration Form, which allows the staff to retrieve the documents ahead of time. Check out the Springsteen Collection site to see which documents are available to view.
Christine Persichette, a reporter for My9, highlighted some of the rare and interesting things one can view in the collection, including “photos of the boss when he wasn’t even old enough to work. His days spent at Freehold High School and a glimpse at his budding creativity in a poem he wrote while a student at Ocean County College.” The rest of this article can be read here.
The Bruce Springsteen Special Collection is available to view by appointment only, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. To make an appointment, call Eileen Chapman at 732-571-3512.
I live in Wisconsin and was planning a long weekend at the Jersey Shore. Included in this trip was a visit to the Asbury Park library where I expected to find the Bruce Springsteen Collection. Being a true fan, I dedicated one day of my vacation to this only to find out the collection had been moved! (I can’t remember where I read that it was in Asbury Park.) Happy that Monmouth University is close to Asbury Park, we headed to the University. There we found that you needed an appointment. Never did get to view the collection, but sometimes a misadventure can be just as fun! The university campus and buildings are beautiful and I was glad we had a chance to visit! Maybe next year I can plan better and get to view the collection! Thanks!Mary Jane Krueger, Union Grove, Wisconsin.