About the Collection > Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Bruce Springsteen Special Collection?
What types of materials are included in the Collection?
Is the Collection publicly accessible and if so, how
do I use it?
How can I see articles from the Collection if I visit the Library
without an appointment?
How can I get copies of articles in the Collection without visiting
the Library?
What standards apply to donated items?
If I want to donate publications to the Collection, how
would I do so?
What is the Bruce Springsteen Special Collection?
Many public, academic, and other types of libraries maintain "Special Collections," which bring together significant materials about a particular subject; these materials are usually available for research purposes but are not part of the library's circulating collection. The Asbury Park Public Library works with The Friends of the Bruce Springsteen Special Collection to maintain and develop what's believed to be the world's most extensive Special Collection about Bruce Springsteen and his bands.
The Springsteen Special Collection originated as a project of Backstreets magazine and Backstreets' editor, Christopher Phillips, remains actively involved in our work as president of the Friends. The Collection exists to serve the research and informational needs of Springsteen fans, educators, researchers, authors and others with a serious interest in Bruce Springsteen's life and career.
What types of materials are included in the Collection?
The Collection currently includes over 9,341 books, song books, tourbooks, magazines, Internet article printouts, academic journals and papers, fanzines, and comic books containing Springsteen content; they date from 1964 to the present. Virtually the entire collection is comprised of used publications.
Is the Collection publicly accessible and if so, how do I use it?
The Library welcomes all visitors, and appreciates that many stop by here because of this Collection. Its Directions To The Library page has driving directions for those coming here via the Garden State Parkway; or call (732) 774-4221.
Accessibility and security are the twin concerns of the Library and the Friends. The Collection is available to researchers, scholars and the general public, but it is housed in a secure location and cannot be browsed. In addition, the Library has limited staffing and not all staff members are authorized to access the Collection. So we ask that those interested in viewing Collection items make an appointment with the Library staff by phone, FAX, or email prior to making a visit.
On arrival at the Library, please present your current photo identification (drivers license or the equivalent) to the front desk personnel, along with the name of the publication(s) you wish to review and the box number where each publication is located. The various Current Holdings lists on this website provide that information, indicating the number(s) of the boxes holding items of interest, and serving as locator guides for the staff.
Use of material from the collection is restricted to four publications at a time for general visitors, and to eight publications at a time for Charter Members of The Friends of the Bruce Springsteen Special Collection who present their membership card; those publications are the personal responsibility of the viewer while in the viewer's possession.
Use must occur at the Asbury Park Public Library under the supervision of Library staff; no material from the Collection may be checked out of the Library.
The publication(s) must be returned to the front desk personnel at the conclusion of the review and prior to requesting further publications. The Library has a photocopier, and there is no restriction on note taking while using publications from the Collection. There is also no particular time limitation on the use of materials, other than the normal business hours of the Library.
How can I see articles from the Collection if I visit the Library without an appointment?
As indicated above, it's strongly recommended that visitors to the Library make an appointment if they wish to view items from the Collection. But even without an appointment, anyone who visits the Library can view copies of over 150 of our best-and-rarest articles--simply by requesting one or more of "the Springsteen binders" at the main counter. We've filled five binders with copies of exceptional articles from the Collection; each binder organized around a common theme, each with a full list of contents and a lively, informative introduction.
The printouts are of such high-quality color that some viewers mistake them for the original publications, and any must-have articles can be easily removed from the sleeves for photocopying.
We are currently making available the following binders (and there are more on the way!):
BEFORE THE TIDE: Highlights from the Collection
1966-1975
IN A WORLD GONE WILD: Highlights from the 34 countries in
the Collection
DEDICATION: Highlights from the fanzines and newsletters
BACK IN THE PARK: The Springsteen experience in Asbury Park
COVER ME: All-Time Favorite Springsteen Magazine Covers As Voted By
Fans
How can I get copies of articles in the Collection without visiting the Library?
You can request photocopies of material in the Springsteen Special Collection through interlibrary loan, a world-wide service which will usually be available at your own public or academic library. Your library will need the information about the publication which appears in our Current Holdings lists, and will inform you about any charges which might be involved.
The Asbury Park Public Library participates in interlibrary loan as a member of OCLC, the world-wide library data base; its library symbol is ABR. The Library also uses ARIEL, a world-wide electronic document transfer system for libraries.
What standards apply to donated items?
The entire Collection is comprised of publications donated by Springsteen fans in the United States and around the world. We continue to rely on that generosity to expand our historic holdings and obtain current publications. The Collection is in need of any materials in the format types described above which contain significant content about Bruce Springsteen's life, career, and bands.
The Collection is maintained through the good work and cooperation of the Friends of the Bruce Springsteen Special Collection and the staff of the Asbury Park Public Library. The Library must work with budgetary restrictions, space limitations, lack of dedicated staffing for the Collection, and other challenges. Therefore, Collection holdings are limited to items in the specific print formats described above; it does not include material such as memorabilia, CDs, LPs, 7" singles, videos, DVD or other non-print formats.
We welcome donations in the best available condition; to this point, the overall condition of the Collection ranges from very good to excellent. Since the Collection is a work in progress, many publications still needed; some are listed in the Wanted Items section on this web site while others, not currently known to organizers of the Collection, are nonetheless also "wanted."
If I want to donate publications to the Collection, how would I do so?
Potential donors should first check the Current Holdings lists on this site to ensure that their intended donations are not already in the Collection. Assuming that is the case, we strongly advise that you contact Bob Crane, pbjcrane@erols.com, about your proposed donation. Mr. Crane keeps track of donations to the collection and needs to be informed about incoming materials.
Please package your donation securely and send it to the following address:
Springsteen Special Collection
12606 Billington Road
Silver Spring, MD 20904
Note that we cannot pay shipping costs.
We want to honor our donors by displaying their names on our Donors to the Collection page, so please include your name and hometown as you would like them to be listed. If you would prefer to have your donation remain anonymous, let us know and we will respect your wishes.
Please contact us if you have questions regarding the Collection which are not answered here.
