The Northern Onondaga Public Library (NOPL) now provides no-cost menstrual product dispensers inside all their branches. Specialty dispensers from Aunt Flow, a woman-owned company founded with the intention of addressing period poverty, will be stocked with 100% organic tampons and pads. This is part of a national movement to address the inequity of access to needed sanitary supplies and to decrease the taboo nature around the natural body function of menstruation.
Period poverty is a real concern impacting the wellness of our community and can be described as a major issue in reproductive health and hygiene. Period-action.org defines period poverty as the limited or inadequate access to menstrual products or menstrual health education as a result of financial constraints or negative socio-cultural stigmas associated with menstruation. Having these products available for free will create a more equitable experience for library users.
Offering free menstrual products is only one part of the process; the library can also help by opening up the lines of communication about periods with books and other resources; see the booklist below. If you are looking for more information about periods, visit the library’s catalog or speak with the librarian at the service desk, by phone or via social media messaging.
NOPL Recommended Reads about menstrual cycles
Own Your Period by Chella Quint
The New Girl by Cassandra Calin
