Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Bruce Springsteen Special Collection?
What materials are in the Bruce Springsteen Special Collection?
Where is the Collection located?
Who can use the Collection?
Do I need to make an appointment?
How do I access materials?
Where can I park when I visit the Collection?
What hours is the Collection open?
Can I take photographs of the materials?
Can I donate material to the Collection?
Can I check out items from the Collection?
Do you have imagery services? How do I access these, and at what cost?
What may I bring in with me when viewing the Collection?
Are cell phones permitted?
Can I bring food or a drink while viewing the Collection?
Do you offer services for remote researchers?
Is any part of the collection available online?
What are the copyright policies on publishing materials in the Special Collection?
I am quoting quite a lot of material or using photographs obtained by you. Do I need permission?
Must I pay a use fee?
How do I cite Springsteen Special Collection material?
The website shows many items being available on microfilm. Is microfilm my only option for reading these materials?
Who can I contact with other questions regarding use of the Collection?
What is The Bruce Springsteen Special Collection?
The Bruce Springsteen Special Collection is the largest publicly accessible collection in the world devoted exclusively to Springsteen content, dating from 1949 to the present. It serves the research and informational needs of Springsteen fans, educators, researchers, authors and others with a serious interest in Bruce Springsteen’s life, career, and bands.
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What materials are in the Bruce Springsteen Special Collection?
The Collection is currently comprised of books, songbooks, tourbooks, magazines, fanzines, internet articles, newspaper articles, academic journals and papers, selected printed items, and comic books.
Where is the Collection located?
The Collection is located on the Monmouth University campus in West Long Branch, New Jersey.
Who can use the Collection?
The Collection is available, by appointment, to Monmouth University students, faculty, staff and the general public.
Do I need to make an appointment?
Yes, the Collection is only accessible by appointment. Appointments can be made by email at echapman@monmouth.edu or by phone at 732 571-3512
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How do I access materials?
Users must complete and sign a Researcher Registration form and provide appropriate identification before being admitted to the Collection Reading Room. The Springsteen Special Collection website, of which this FAQ section is a part, serves as the locator guide for the Collection and contains box numbers which identify where items are stored. Users are required to provide the appropriate box numbers(s) as part of their request. If you are unsure what materials in the Collection may be of use to you, contact us ahead of time and we can help. Researchers are encouraged to complete the on-line Material Request form in advance so that we may retrieve items prior to your visit. The University limits the use of materials to four publications at a time.
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Where can I park when I visit the Collection?
Parking is available in lot 23 located near the intersection of Norwood and Cedar Avenues.
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What hours is the Collection open?
By appointment, the Collection is available from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday through Friday except on holidays.
Can I take photographs of the materials?
Researchers may bring their non-flash digital cameras to the Special Collection Reading Room upon receiving prior written permission from the Special Collection staff. Personal patron scanners are not permitted at any time. All duplication of materials must conform to U.S. copyright laws.
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Can I donate material to the Collection?
The Special Collection is pleased to receive new items which complement our Collection holdings. Potential donors should first check the current holdings list elsewhere on this website to ensure that intended donations are not already in the Collection.
If you would like to discuss a donation, please contact Bob Crane, Executive Director of The Friends of the Bruce Springsteen Special Collection, at pbjcrane@gmail.com. You may also contact Eileen Chapman at 732 571-3512 or echapman@monmouth.edu. Neither The Friends, nor the University, can pay shipping costs.
Unless donors ask to remain anonymous, they are acknowledged by name and hometown on the donor list elsewhere on this website.
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Can I check out items from the Collection?
No, all items are non-circulating and must be viewed in the Springsteen Special Collection Reading Room.
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Do you have imagery services? How do I access these, and at what cost?
All material from the Collection will be copied by the staff. Copies cost $0.25 for 1-100 copies and $0.30 for each page over 100.
All photocopying will be done in accordance with the Monmouth University established rules and regulations. Copies cannot be made from volumes that are tightly bound.
Self-service scanning is not permitted. The staff can provide digital copies of pictorial and printed material from the Collection. Images can be scanned up to 600 dpl, in black and white or in color, and in the image format of your choice (Jpeg, tff, etc) Images can be burned onto CD for no extra charge. The rate for students and employees of Monmouth University is $5.00 per image and the public rate is $20.00 per image. An additional publication fee is applicable for commercial use. Payment may be made by cash, check or money order.
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Copies
A complimentary copy of any publication or reproduction using the Bruce Springsteen Special Collections material must be sent to the University Archives Collection at the time of publication
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What may I bring in with me when viewing the Collection?
You may bring a laptop computer, non-flash camera, pencils and loose note paper. All other items including backpacks, briefcases, bags, and notebooks must be stored in the closet of the Reading Room
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Are cell phones permitted?
Cell phone use is prohibited in the Special Collection Reading Room.
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Can I bring food or a drink while viewing the Collection?
No. Food, drink, chewing gum and tobacco products are prohibited in the Reading Room in order to preserve the life of the Collection.
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Do you offer services for remote researchers?
Reference services up to 30 minutes will be provided free of charge. After that time, individuals and organizations outside the University will be charged a rate of $25 for 30 minutes.
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Is any part of the Collection available online?
At this time the Collection is not available online.
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What are the copyright policies on publishing materials in the Special Collection? All Collection materials are protected by U.S. Copyright Law and may not be duplicated, published, displayed, exhibited, placed on a website, aired on a television program or video, or used publicly in any other manner without permission from the Special Collection staff. All use of Collection materials must conform to U.S. Copyright Law. If you are unsure about the copyright status of specific items in our Collection, contact us.
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I am quoting quite a lot of material or using photographs obtained by you. Do I need permission? Must I pay a use fee?
Please see our statement on copyright above.
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How do I cite Springsteen Special Collection material?
All reproduced and published items (in print or electronic format) must be credited as follows: “Used by permission of The Bruce Springsteen Special Collection at Monmouth University, West Long Branch, NJ.”
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The website shows many items being available on microfilm. Is microfilm my only option for reading these materials?
Certain physically fragile publications are available only on microfilm, unless special permission is granted by the staff to review original documents.
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Who can I contact with other questions regarding use of the Collection?
Please contact Eileen Chapman by phone at 732 571-3512 or by email at echapman@monmouth.edu.