the rix mix

Today I was surprised, then alarmed, to discover that Asbury Park Public Library holds an archival collection of over 10,000 Bruce Springsteen related items, mostly printed materials, all of it donated.

I learned from a newspaper article that the Friends of the Bruce Springsteen Special Collection had to return 1000 items they had removed for microfilming, for which they had received a grant. The FBSSC (founded by Backstreet Magazine editors) was instrumental in establishing the collection, & claimed they owned this particular material. Apparently, they do not. But they posted this on the FBSSC website:

Over many recent months, The Friends of the Bruce Springsteen Special Collection have grown increasingly concerned over conditions at the Asbury Park Public Library, where the Collection is currently housed. We've attempted to resolve these concerns, and while doing so, felt it was in the best interests of the Collection for us to retain possession of over a thousand documents taken from the Library for microfilming, rather than return them to what may be an unsuitable environment

I'm not really interested in Bruce Springsteen archival material, but historical preservation does concern me. What I don't understand is why any serious collector thought, in 2001, that Asbury Park Public Library was a suitable repository for a Bruce Springsteen Special Collection. APPL is an understaffed, underfunded municipal library in a city that struggles to provide basic library services to its own residents. The library is not even involved in any major way in preserving the broader history of Asbury Park. Independent historical societies & private investment do most of that work. Asbury Park has no museum dedicated to its history. The elected government of Asbury Park has a shameful record of preserving evidence of the city's true "glory days" from the late 19th Century through the 1920's, & can take small credit for any economic resurgence. You have to go to Ocean Grove to get a sense of what Asbury looked like 50 or 100 years ago.

I'm not blaming Asbury Park Public Library, but that city institution & its trustees are stuck with a job suited to the library at Monmouth University or even Brookdale Community College. APPL can record the fact of the archived material into their computer catalogue system, but they are not equipped to store, manage & preserve a growing archive collection, or digitally scan the material, or deal with donations from around the world, or adequately service people wishing to access the material, in person & off site, for purposes of research. Mere sentiment or civic pride about Bruce Springsteen & Asbury Park are unacceptable rationales. The collection has little real monetary value unless the library broke it up & sold it off, provided there were buyers. It is a burden to the library. The Bruce Springsteen Special Collection needs a better permanent home.

Labels: Asbury Park, boardwalks, jersey shore, music