During the COVID-19 library closure, FCPL staff are helping meet Fairfax County’s personal protective equipment needs.
By Suzanne S. LaPierre, Virginiana Specialist Librarian at the Virginia Room in City of Fairfax Regional Library
Hard at (New) Work
What are Fairfax County Public Library (FCPL) staff working on while buildings are closed to the public during the pandemic? In addition to continued library-related tasks from taking inventory of the collection to answering customer questions via the Ask Your Library online chat service or email, many FCPL staff members are supporting county and volunteer efforts to provide personal protective equipment (PPE) to meet local needs — including assembling plastic face shields for use by the Fairfax County Health Department and sewing cloth face masks for donation to community nonprofits.
Assembling Health Department Face Shields
More than 30 FCPL staff members have joined Fairfax County Neighborhood and Community Services (NCS) staff in assembling face shields to support the critical work of the county’s Health Department.
Virginia Room Librarian Laura Wickstead was among those participating in the face shield project. “It was satisfying and a welcome change,” she said. Describing her part in the assembly process, Wickstead explained how she cut vinyl from a roll like Mylar into long strips, then into smaller rectangles to be trimmed into the shields. She also cut elastic into strips and used an iron to melt a piece snipped from large plastic straw onto the end of them, creating a cap that will not slip through a small hole.
“I met some nice folks in NCS and now have faces attached to names for several more library co-workers,” Wickstead added. “And, I didn't look at a computer screen for 24 hours. Bliss.”
Led by NCS Technology Program Manager Robert O'Quinn and Emergency & Support Functions Program Manager Chris Scales, the face shield project initially aimed to use some plastic parts created by the library’s 3D printers in combination with purchased components. When the Health Department requested a change in the face shield design, the team pivoted and reorganized to start assembling the PPE with all purchased components.
As of last Friday, May 8, the Health Department had received 1,000 face shields produced by this project, with the library and NCS team planning to have 500 more assembled by Friday, May 15.
Sewing and Donating Hundreds of Masks
Many FCPL staff members are also hand-sewing cloth face masks for local organizations that have requested PPE through Volunteer Fairfax. By the end of this week, library staff will have sewn more than 720 face masks from donated material and delivered them to 10 different local organizations, including Northern Virginia Family Services, Shepherd Center, Diamond Home Health Care and FACETS.
Librarian Sharon Okrend has been helping organize this community project for the FCPL team, with Librarian Rebecca Wolff stepping in to help deliver the masks. “I know we have at least 60 more masks that have been finished — there are probably much more,” Wolff said. “People are making them faster than I can deliver, so [FCPL Branch Manager] Sarah Garcia is helping out this week.”
The Project is Personal
Library Aide Dorothy Lockwood’s first round of sewing during the pandemic produced 26 masks that she gave to her family and co-workers. Then she turned her focus to making masks for FCPL’s donation efforts. “One of the creators and a co-worker, Librarian Sharon Okrend, alerted me to this project,” Lockwood noted. “To date I have sewn 30 masks and donated extra fabric for the project. This has been a huge help in keeping me sane while doing something I love to do.”
The fabric donated by Lockwood has included a supply her husband gave her as a gift. “For the first time in years, my husband actually gave me fat quarter fabric packs [quarter-yard cuts of fabric cut wide] for Christmas,” she said. “It just so happened that the fabric was perfect for what is recommended to make masks out of. He was just looking for a stocking stuffer.”
Learn More and Get Involved
Fairfax County Public Library staff — including those working on the face shield and face mask projects — know that we are stronger when we work together. Learn how you can support and make an impact in our community on the Volunteer Fairfax COVID-19 webpage, which includes an up-to-date list of nonprofit and public volunteer opportunities and donation requests.
For the latest dates and details about the library’s COVID-19 closure, read this update on library services during the coronavirus pandemic. Visit the Library Services During Closure guide for information about digital resources, virtual programs and online support available while FCPL branches are closed to the public.
Photo captions, from top: Michelle Biwer (FCPL Assistant Branch Manager) and George Cadima (NCS, Technology Center Manager, Yorkville Computer Technology Program) assemble face shields; FCPL Librarian Laura Wickstead assembles face shield components; FCPL Circulation Manager Chahinaz Bouzid assembles face shield components; Staff at Healthworks Northern Virginia’s Herndon Office receive their donation of FCPL-made face masks.