On  April 25, 2002, Princeton University has changed the name of the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) Library to honor former PPPL Director Harold Furth, who died in February. The dedication of the Harold P. Furth Library followed a 1 p.m. memorial service at the Laboratory.

Furth, a pioneer in the U.S. fusion program and the originator of the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor project, died February 21, 2002 in Philadelphia at the age of 72. Furth was a giant of fusion science and a person of untiring energy and boundless optimism. He was Director of PPPL from 1981 through  1990 and a Professor of Astrophysical Sciences at Princeton University from 1967 to 1999, when he became Professor Emeritus.

Furth made a career of research on controlled fusion, making countless contributions to the science of fusion plasmas (a hot, ionized gas) and the fundamentals of plasma physics. He provided scientific and managerial leadership to the world fusion program throughout his career. Furth, who was active in research at PPPL and a regular library user until shortly before his death, held more than 20 patents and had published more than 200 technical papers.

The library is a national resource for information on plasma physics and nuclear fusion. Its highly specialized collections provide essential support for the Laboratory's research and for graduate students in the Program in Plasma Physics and the Program in Plasma Science and Technology.

Much of the Library's material is unique within the Princeton University Library system. The collection consists of monographs, serials, conference proceedings, dissertations, indexes and abstracts, and technical reports, in print, microfiche, and electronic formats. As of June 2004, the total number of volumes, including bound serial volumes held at the library was 18239.

Staff members:
Adriana Popescu, Plasma Physics Librarian (2001- )
Shannon Belloni, Special Collections Assistant (2002-2004)
Judith E. Shipley, Special Collections Assistant (2005-)