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Johnson County Library now provides period/menstrual products, free of charge, in restrooms within all 14 branches, for the public’s convenience and comfort. 

On August 10, the Library Board approved an agreement with the Strawberry Week Society, a local nonprofit that collects and distributes free menstrual products to schools, hospitals, shelters and community organizations, to increase accessibility and combat period poverty.   

Youth Information Specialists Emma Fernhout and Heather Miller advocated for this service and said Strawberry Week has been a great partner. 

“My experience is, if I go to a gym or an airport and I see period products in the bathroom, especially if they are free, then I immediately feel like that organization cares,” Fernhout said. “I know the power that carries, and it just seemed in alignment with what the Library wants people to feel.” 

Strawberry Week Founder and CEO Micheala Miller donates these products (tampons and pads) throughout the metro area, and had already seen how successful this initiative was in the 10 Kansas City Public Library branches. She was delighted to collaborate with Johnson County Library as well. 

“They’ve been amazing to work with,” Michaela Miller said. Most community groups she works with help people for whom the cost of menstrual products is a hardship. But she notes that Libraries serve the broader public.  

“Items like these are so mandatory for half the population to use, it’s something that is appreciated,” she said. “We believe that like hand soap and paper towels, period products should be readily available in public restrooms. Through this partnership, we are able to accomplish that.” 

Strawberry Week will make its donations quarterly, for an annual total of about 10,000 pads and 6,000 tampons, saving Johnson County government more than $3,000 if it were to purchase the products. The Library will spend about $375 on containers.  

Library staff said this project enhances customer service, fosters a welcoming and healthy environment and safeguards patron privacy. 

Fernhout said the idea first came to her a few years ago and she put together a proposal to address the need.  

“I think a lot of us have experienced a patron asking for products, or we’ve been that patron whether it’s at the Library or at another business, and just realizing that there were no products available,” she said. “That seemed like a huge barrier to accessibility and feeling welcomed and safe.” 

Heather Miller eagerly joined Fernhout to explore a solution. 

“We talked to branch managers, we talked to operations and administration, and everyone was very supportive,” Heather Miller said. 

Serendipitously, Strawberry Week sent an email in early 2022 to Johnson County Library with information about its mission. Strawberry Week sponsors large collection drives and also gets grants to purchase products. Micheala Miller works in real estate professionally, but she devotes her volunteer time to combatting period poverty. 

“It’s fulfilling and a passion project for me,” she said. 

The email was passed along to Fernhout, and it felt like the answer to what she was seeking. Fernhout and Heather Miller met with Micheala Miller and Kansas City Public Library representatives, who were very encouraging. They reported that patrons didn’t take huge quantities of the products, but used them as needed, like paper towels or other hygiene items. 

“They (KCPL) gave us the drive to keep going, saying you can do it in a big branch system,” Heather Miller recalled.  

Fernhout said working with Strawberry Week on all the logistical details has been very rewarding. 

“They really just want to serve their community,” she said, “in the best way they can.” 

New Blog Entry

Meadowbrook Park is a beautiful (and busy!) park in suburban Prairie Village today. But did you know that there were many different land uses in the area throughout history? Learn about the Indigenous populations, family farms, luxury estates, postwar suburbs, and “open membership” golf clubs that came before JCPRD’s public green space in a new #JoCoHistory Blog post from the Johnson County Museum.