WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. (AP) — A university in Bruce Springsteen's native New Jersey will become home to the rocker's personal collection of written works, artifacts, photographs and other memorabilia from his decades-long career.

The Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music at Monmouth University will curate the works, Springsteen and the university announced during a Tuesday event where he was interviewed about his career.

The university, in West Long Branch, has been the home of the Bruce Springsteen Special Collection since 2011. The new archive will promote and preserve the legacy of Springsteen as well as other music icons, including Frank Sinatra and Woody Guthrie.

"Monmouth University is excited by the opportunity to grow our relationship with Bruce Springsteen," said university President Paul Brown.

During the Tuesday night event at the university's Pollak Theatre, Springsteen, 67, chronicled his life story as part of an "intimate conversation" moderated by Grammy Museum Executive Director Bob Santelli.

While it takes the Boss close to four hours to effectively revisit the four-plus decades of his career in concert, he needed just 90 minutes to chronicle his life story. He spoke about his youth as a bar band singer on the Jersey shore, writing his classic album "Born To Run" and the importance of political activism in music moving forward, NJ.com reported.

"I tend to believe music is important to activism in the sense that it stirs passion, it stirs interest, it stirs curiosity, it moves you to question your own beliefs, it strikes straight to your emotions. And it stirs you up inside," Springsteen said.