By Zilana Lee
Nearly four months have gone by and the Coronavirus pandemic continues to impact people around the globe. Protective gear is a crucial part of preventing infection by the virus and personal protective equipment (PPE) from face masks to gloves remain in high demand.
The Town of Greenwich has found a way to contribute to the supply of PPE. So far the Greenwich Library Innovation Lab staff have printed and assembled 90 face shields using the Library’s two very own Ultimaker 3D printers. The face shields followed a design template approved by the National Institutes of Health for use in clinical settings.
After constructing and assembling the face shields, the Library donated them to front-line workers through a program run by Covid Maker Response (CMR), the largest grassroots manufacturer of PPE in New York City.
The Library delivered the face shields to the 92nd Street Y on the Upper East Side of Manhattan which were then distributed to hospitals citywide. CMR donates their manufactured equipment to hospitals in NYC including Columbia Presbyterian, Mount Sinai, Bronx Lebanon, and St. Charles. The organization was founded by members of Columbia University Libraries, Tangible Creative, and MakerBot. CMR produces and distributes 1000 PPE face shields a day.
The shields are primarily 3D printed at MakerBot (Brooklyn) and Tangible Creative (Newark), and delivered by volunteer drivers to the 92nd Street Y, and now the Greenwich Library has helped to make this truly a tri-state effort. For more information about CMR, visit their website at http://covidmakerresponse.com/ online.
“The Greenwich Library Innovation Lab is committed to using the latest technology to serve the community,” said Vanessa Harrington, the Library’s Innovation Lab Coordinator. “We were thrilled to be able to put the Library’s 3D printers to good use, for a good cause, during such a challenging time. This project also highlights how you can make all kinds of incredible things using one of the Library’s 3D printers.”
“I think it’s a wonderful use of a resource, before now I was unaware that the Library had their own 3D printers,” said Melanie Franklin, a Greenwich resident. “Hopefully other places with access to a 3D printer will follow the Library’s example.”
While 3D printers have been around since the 1980s, many people are not familiar with how they work. If any Greenwich resident would like to learn about 3D printers and how to use one, the Library is offering a “Virtual – Intro to 3D Printing” workshop on Thursday, July 9, and also on Wednesday, August 5, from 2 – 3:15 p.m. The workshop advises those who are interested where to find free 3D printable designs and how to use a 3D printer to prepare and print a model.
In addition, the Library is offering a virtual webinar titled “Prototype Your Ideas Using 3D Tech,” taking place on Wednesday, July 22, from 2 – 3:30 p.m. The webinar is for those seeking to expand their knowledge of 3D printing and learn the best practices for developing their own prototype using 3D modeling, 3D printing, and essential online resources to help make it all happen.
You can register for both Virtual 3D webinars through the Library’s online calendar (http://greenwichlibrary.evanced.info/signup/calendar). For more information about the Library’s 3D printer and 3D printing webinars, contact the Training Center staff at trainingcenter@greenwichlibrary.org, call (203) 625-6508, or visit www.greenwichlibrary.org/training. The online calendar contains information about all upcoming Virtual programs.
The Greenwich Library, located at 101 West Putnam Avenue, is accessible to all Greenwich residents with a vast array of archives and books, quiet study spots, educational programs and services, and a place for people to gather and share experiences. The Library has over 2,000 programs and events per year and has a total circulation of about 1.2 million, the highest reported in Connecticut. Greenwich Library was recently named a five-star library by Library Journal for the 11th time.
The Greenwich Library system consists of the Main Library and its Byram Shubert (located at 21 Mead Avenue) and Cos Cob (located at 5 Sinawoy Road) branches. The Greenwich Library currently provides No-Contact Pick Up of Library materials by appointment. Pick up will be available at the Main Library Monday-Thursday 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.; at the Byram Shubert Library Monday-Wednesday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Thursday 12 p.m. – 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.; and at the Cos Cob Library Monday 12 p.m. – 7 p.m., Tuesday-Saturday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m..
