We might want to wear gloves to protect an item we are handling or to protect ourselves from unpleasant substances that might be lurking within. We use nitrile, latex, and cotton. Which types are best? Should we use white gloves for handling special collections? Aren't cotton gloves more sustainable than disposable ones? 

Perhaps we should follow Nathaniel Hawthorne—"A pure hand needs no glove to cover it." In many cases, "none...