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PPE donated to those in need

  • Post Date: 04/02/2020
  • Author: Christa Deacy-Quinn, collections manager
  • Reading Time: 2 minute read

Spurlock Museum is proud to support the current COVID-19 medical efforts of local hospitals by donating our supplies of nitrile gloves, N95 masks, safety glasses, alcohol wipes, and sanitizer spray to the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD) (external link).

Many of us are hearing the term Personal Protective Equipment, or PPE for short, a lot these days. Face masks, nitrile gloves, safety goggles, face shields, smocks - to name a few - are used by people in a variety of different professions. For instance, Spurlock staff rely on PPE to protect both people and our collections when handling artifacts and undertaking conservation treatments.

But there has been a huge priority shift in how these resources are used with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Supplies continue to run low for front-line medical workers who rely on PPE to keep themselves and their patients safe. Because of this, we felt it was necessary that Spurlock Museum donate our unused PPE to those who need it most.

  • woman poses with pad of paper and 10-12 small boxes of protective gloves and other items
    Collections Manager Christa Deacy-Quinn inventories boxes of nitrile gloves and N95 masks for donation.
  • woman packs two plastic crates in a warehouse, including a box that says
    Christa removes a box of protective eyewear from the museum’s emergency supply kit.

To learn more about how you can help check out these links:

Thank you to all those in the medical profession for working tirelessly to keep our communities safe.

  • woman with gloves places a small humanoid figure in an exhibit case
    Staff wear smocks and gloves when working with artifacts to prevent the transfer of any substances, such as oils, lotions, dyes, or even pesticides, between themselves and the artifact, such as this ceramic Sponemann figure on loan by the Illinois State Archaeological Survey.
  • student worker with mask cleans a ship model in an exhibit gallery
    N95 masks are worn by staff when cleaning dusty artifacts, like this ship model of the Mayflower (1925.05.0001).
  • Closeup of two nitrile gloved hands using a q-tip to clean a metal brooch
    Nitrile gloves are worn by staff when working with solvents like polishing this Irish brooch facsimile (1916.06.0022).
  • a man wearing a respirator cups his hand to his chin to mimic the motion of a male trainer facing him.
    Select staff are fitted and trained to use respirators in case they have to respond to a mold outbreak.
  • A woman in a white smock, hair net, glasses, and face mask uses a backpack vacuum to clean a large hairy feline dance costume with tiny mirrors
    Staff wear smocks, masks, eye protection and hair nets when inspecting and cleaning artifacts that may have insect infestation like this Barong Dance Costume (2002.17.0001).