Adam Hinz said he never imagined a $50,000 grant for the Great Neck Library’s STEM lab would be used to develop personal protective equipment for healthcare workers on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic.
“The staff I work with is great at remotely helping with any problems that arise throughout the process,” Hinz said. “Helping out the hospital employees anyway we can is something we’re all willing to do.”
Hinz, the library’s youth services coordinator since 2015, said he was grateful that the grant was obtained with the help of Nassau County Legislator Ellen Birnbaum (D-Great Neck).
“Securing the grant provided the library with some incredible resources for the library patrons,” Hinz said. “The fact that this technology is now being utilized to undergo a project like this is pretty amazing.”
The Community Revitalization Program grant was used to purchase laptops, gaming computers, a smart television, virtual-reality systems, and a 3-D printer. The printer, Hinz said, is the key component of creating the protective face shields.
“Tracy [Van Dyne], the acting library director, sent out an email a few weeks ago asking staffers to let her know if they needed any supplies from the library,” Hinz said. “I asked if I could take home a 3-D printer, and she said it was no problem.”
All branches of the Great Neck Library have been shut down since March 14.
Hinz, who has had the printer in his possession for the past few weeks, said he began collaborating with other members of his team to find the safest and most streamlined way to create the shields. Hinz said he went out to collect overhead projector sheets for the mask aspect, and 3-D printed the visor and elastic components.
Hinz said he has utilized a laser cutter to precisely drill the three holes in the overhead projector sheets and to smooth out the finished product as well. Fellow library employee Chris Van Wickler has helped with managing the online file templates that Hinz said originally came from Sweden.
“The original templates were actually used on a different size paper than the typical 8-1/2- by-11-inch paper,” Hinz said. “So Chris stepping in and converting the files to the proper dimensions we used was a big help.”
According to Hinz, the average time frame to create one mask from start to finish can exceed an hour and a half While there are some shortcuts in the process that others have used in the past, Hinz said, taking the time to ensure the product is up to hospital standards is well worth the wait.
“The time difference with some shortcuts wouldn’t have made much of a difference, plus we want to make sure what we’re creating is safe and secure for the healthcare workers,” Hinz said.
After purchasing 100 overhead projector sheets, Hinz said, he has made more than 60 masks, half of which were already donated to Queens Hospital Center and Elmhurst Hospital.
Hinz said another drop-off was scheduled for Friday at Northwell Health in Manhasset. Village of Great Neck resident Rebecca Gilliar, Hinz said, heard of the news and aided him in contacting the appropriate hospital employee to coordinate the drop-off.
“During the only stateside epidemic in our lifetime, many residents wake up wondering what to do with their day sequestered,” Gilliar said. “Adam woke up to an idea. I wanted to forge a connection for him to be able to deliver the shields directly to the hospital system because what he is doing is so immediately valuable.”
Hinz said he has been in contact with the Nassau County Library Association to provide resources and digital files to aid other libraries throughout the county in developing face shields and other personal protective equipment.
“Plenty of libraries in Nassau County have the resources to accomplish what we’re doing here,” Hinz said. “If anyone is out there with a 3-D printer and wants to get in touch, they are more than welcome to reach out.”
Hinz said residents who wish to inquire further can contact him at ahinz@greatnecklibrary.org.
