It's Natural, We Have No Choice: Practical Steps for Menstrual Equity in the Library

Authors

Varina Kosovich, University of New Mexico Health Science's Library and Informatics Center
Sally Bowler-Hill, University of New Mexico Health Science's Library and Informatics CenterFollow

Presentation Date

Fall 10-28-2022

Files

Description

In 2021, the UNM Health Science’s Library and Informatics Center formed a Justice, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. In response to an upset student’s feedback about the lack of menstrual products on campus, one of the first actions of the Committee was to set up a free menstrual product program at the library. After initial research about what other libraries and institutions had done, pads, panty liners, and tampons were placed in all library restrooms. Because the library does not yet have gender neutral restrooms and in support of transgender, non-binary, and gender nonconforming folks, this included both the women’s and men’s restrooms. This poster presentation discusses funding, practical steps for buying, storing, and placing menstrual products in restrooms, and future considerations for the project at the library and beyond.

Document Type

Poster

Conference/Presentation Location

NMLA 2022

Language

English

Keywords

menstrual equity, period poverty, health sciences libraries, justice equity and inclusion, public restrooms

Recommended Citation

Kosovich, Varina and Sally Bowler-Hill. "'It's Natural, We Have No Choice': Practical Steps for Menstrual Equity in the Library." (2022).