Elizabeth Castañeda, (408) 808-2175
elizabeth.castaneda@sjlibrary.org
Nancy Macías, (408) 712-2150
nancy.macias@sjlibrary.org
Friday, April 24, 2020
SJ Library Delivers 3D Printed Face Shields and Masks to Good Samaritan Hospital
San José Public Library staff create and donate its first round of 3D printed protective gear
San José, Calif., April 24, 2020 – Earlier today, the San José Public Library’s (SJPL) staff, volunteers and City Librarian Jill Bourne were joined by Mayor Sam Liccardo and District 9 Councilmember Pam Foley to officially handover the donation of 3D printed face shields and masks to Good Samaritan Hospital’s CEO Joe DeSchryver and front-line staff.
Using the Library’s 3D printers and approved prototypes developed by PRUSA PRINTERS and Make the Masks, 24 library staff members and two teen volunteers teamed up to print hundreds of 3D face shields and masks to donate to organizations in need of these supplies. The two teen volunteers, who are brother and sister, also contributed to the project by using their personal 3D printer to help speed up production.
“Our library is so fortunate in having such a dedicated group of staff and volunteers. They had a vision of putting our 3D printers and supplies to use, and they made it happen. This project embodies the library’s belief that if you give access to knowledge and tools, an individual can learn and make anything happen, and the entire community is lifted,” says City Librarian, Jill Bourne.
Good Samaritan Hospital graciously accepted SJPL’s first round of donations, which included a total of 220 face shields and 75 face masks. The Hospital’s CEO, Joe DeSchryver, says, “We are honored to be the first recipients of the 3D printed protective gear created by the San Jose Library. We appreciate the creativity and caring that went into this work. This is an important gift for our well-deserving staff.”
SJPL began 3D printing the supplies two weeks ago and since then, a total of 575 face shields and 150 face masks have been created. Each face mask took 2.5 hours to print and the face shields took 1.5 hours to print – that’s a combined total of 1,238 hours of printing, so far. In the coming days, SJPL plans to donate hundreds more of their 3D face shields and masks to hospitals, nursing homes, shelters, and any other organization that has expressed a need for these supplies. In addition, Library staff and volunteers are also sewing “cloth face coverings” to provide to unhoused residents and medical workers.
"I'm grateful to the San Jose Public Library for stepping up to protect healthcare workers on the frontlines of this crisis,” said San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo. “Their partnership with innovative volunteers helped create hundreds of 3D printed masks, embracing the spirit of Silicon Valley while keeping our community safe.”
The San José Public Library is the first City of San José department to 3D print and donate supplies to medical facilities who are combatting COVID-19. SJPL takes pride in being an innovative library system that is consistently providing resources and support to its communities. For more information about this project, visit: sjpl.org/3DMasks. Access b-roll here. Access photos here.
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