Overview of APPL

Brief History

The Asbury Park Public Library was founded in 1878 as the Ocean Grove Asbury Park Library Association under the leadership of Helen M. Bradley, wife of Asbury Park founder James A. Bradley. The library was incorporated as a free municipal public library in 1901. Click here to read a Brief History

Mission

Above all, our mission is to enable community members to participate fully and share equitably in the benefits of the information revolution. In doing so, we seek to provide the resources, opportunity, and means for users to gain access to a broad range of traditional and technology-based services to meet their informational, recreational, and life-long learning objectives.

Location

The Asbury Park Public Library is located at 500 First Avenue in Asbury Park, New Jersey, 07712. The building sits on the corner of First and Grand Avenues in Asbury Park.

The Main or Adult Library entrance is on the First Avenue side of the building, while the Junior Library has it’s own separate entrance on the Grand Avenue side of the building.

Hours

The Adult Library is open Monday through Wednesday from 11:00am to 8:00pm, Thursday and Friday from 9:00am to 5:00pm, and Saturday from 12:00pm to 5:00pm.

The Junior Library is open Monday through Saturday from 12:00pm to 5:00pm.

Both libraries are closed on Sundays.

Collections

The library has over 150,000 titles in it’s growing collection. In addition the library has several special collections including: The Historical Images Postcard Collection, and an extensize Periodicals Collection which included The Asbury Park Press on Microfilm from 1876 – Present.

In addition, there are over 200 magazines, journals, newpapers, and other periodicals to which we currently subscribe, as well as back issues of hundreds of magazines we’ve subscribed to in the past. Some are available in hard copy, others are available on microfilm.

Technology

There are currently 18 computer workstations that are availble for public access. All computers have Internet access, industry standard word-processing, spreadsheet, and other productivity software, as well as educational and recreational tools. Computer use is free for cardholders, however there is a $3.00 per hour fee for non-cardholders and ID must be presented. The library also has wireless Internet access points in both the Adult and Junior libraries. Wireless Internet access is free for everyone.