Champaign County Library uses 3D printers to help during COVID-19

The Champaign County Library is helping make masks more bearable by 3D printing plastic ear guards for essential workers and the community.

“If you have to wear a mask all day long and if it is the kind that has the elastic that goes around your ears, it can really irritate your ears,” Gloria Malone, coordinator of the Champaign County Library Imagine Lab said.

The ear guards are used to relieve pressure from the mask wearer’s ears.

The elastic bands on the masks can be stretched over the hooks on the ear guard - making the mask tighter or looser, Malone explained.

The library wanted to help the community in some way, but at first they were not sure how.

Malone explained they decided to 3D print ear guards after she realized the library did not have the clear plastic to 3D print face shields.

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She said she took the 3D printer to her house to maximize the amount of ear guards that could be printed. Malone said she is able to print seven ear guards in 3.5 hours.

“We knew we wanted to do it and we wanted to make sure it got to the people that needed it,” Malone said.

Malone said the library has printed over 150 ear guards and has distributed them to the Champaign County Emergency Management Agency, Champaign County Sheriff’s Office, Champaign Residential Services Inc. in Urbana, Community Health & Wellness Partners in West Liberty, Mercy Health Urbana Family Medicine and Pediatrics, United States Postal Service in Urbana and a few individuals.

“They’ve been great,” Champaign County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Eric Holmes said. “For the officers who may need a little more room or for the officers who are wearing them more frequently than others it just makes it more comfortable.”

Holmes added, “It’s been very beneficial for our office. We are very very grateful to the library for donating those.”

Graham High School’s after-school FLIGHT program has decided to work with the library and assist in printing ear guards, Malone said.

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Grace Fonseca, the program site coordinator for the FLIGHT program said she heard that the library was printing ear guards and wanted to help because they were not using their 3D printers due to COVID-19.

“We could not get through this crisis without those essential workers and the people on the front lines of this,” Fonseca said. “We really want to give back to them and show them we appreciate them and all they are doing during this time of need.”

Fonseca said the high school printed their first batch on Tuesday and are able to print 18 ear guards every 24 hours. She explained that they are trying to build a stock before she helps distribute the ear guards to the community.

The library has fulfilled all current orders, but Malone said she is planning to continue to print the ear guards.

“I really feel we need to do whatever we can,” Malone said. “I think if it’s just something small we can do, we should do it.”

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