Breaking the Silence on Period Equity: An unexpected library partnership for women's health

The role of libraries at universities has grown over the years in surprising ways to improve service to the academic community. For the past three years the GS Libraries have participated in what could be considered a national approach to provide free access to menstrual products within academia. The Period Equity Movement (PEM) was created in collaboration with the university’s Office of Student Wellness and Health Promotion through funding that came from a $48,000 Sustainability Fee grant and other internal funding. The grant specifically focused on purchasing reusable products such as menstrual cups, fabric pads and organic disposable tampons and pads. The Access Services Department became an impactful partner in this movement. This lightning talk will examine the steps of success in providing reusable period products and share what we learned as a vested partner. The discussion will review the intricacies of providing organic disposable tampons and pads to the campus community.

One latent manifestation that has emerged from this collaboration is the discovery that the libraries are presently engaged in integrating menstrual literacy into academic discourse. Through open, interactive engagement individuals are being empowered to challenge societal norms that stigmatizes a healthy body function experienced by women. The library as the known information resource hub within the university community is a natural hub for innovative programs such as PEM.