Protect Children's Books Printed Prior to 1986!
I'm posting about an important issue for anyone who loves children's books.
The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA) is trying to decrease the levels of lead and phthalates in products intended for children in the United States, which in and of itself is a good thing. But this Act poses a potential threat to children’s books printed before 1986.
They are requiring publishers to certify that their products intended for children under age twelve do not contain lead. They have been able to demonstrate that their processes satisfy the requirements in books printed in 1986 or later, but books printed before that must be tested and certified, or else removed from access to children ages twelve and under.
Clearly, a multitude of books will test positive and even if they don't the task of testing every book on library shelves published before 1986 will pose problematic.
Obviously, U.S. children won’t be the only ones deprived of stories that have gone out of print. Scholars of these texts have a vested interest in their preservation. (And we are living proof that old books are safe!)
This legislation was to have taken effect in 2009, but in response to protests by librarians, publishers, used book sellers, and others, the government approved a one-year stay of enforcement on having to test for lead in books until February 10, 2010. Now, the American Library Association (ALA) is attempting to rally public support to get ordinary children’s books exempted from this law.
*What Can You Do to Help*
1. Encourage people residing in the U.S. to contact
congressional representatives and ask them to sign on to Bill HR
1692 as cosponsors. This legislation, introduced by Representative
Jeff Fortenberry (R-Neb.), would amend the CPSIA to exempt
ordinary books from the lead limits within the bill. It’s easy to
contact representatives through the ALA Legislative Action Center,
here: http://capwiz.com/ala/home/
The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA) is trying to decrease the levels of lead and phthalates in products intended for children in the United States, which in and of itself is a good thing. But this Act poses a potential threat to children’s books printed before 1986.
They are requiring publishers to certify that their products intended for children under age twelve do not contain lead. They have been able to demonstrate that their processes satisfy the requirements in books printed in 1986 or later, but books printed before that must be tested and certified, or else removed from access to children ages twelve and under.
Clearly, a multitude of books will test positive and even if they don't the task of testing every book on library shelves published before 1986 will pose problematic.
Obviously, U.S. children won’t be the only ones deprived of stories that have gone out of print. Scholars of these texts have a vested interest in their preservation. (And we are living proof that old books are safe!)
This legislation was to have taken effect in 2009, but in response to protests by librarians, publishers, used book sellers, and others, the government approved a one-year stay of enforcement on having to test for lead in books until February 10, 2010. Now, the American Library Association (ALA) is attempting to rally public support to get ordinary children’s books exempted from this law.
*What Can You Do to Help*
1. Encourage people residing in the U.S. to contact
congressional representatives and ask them to sign on to Bill HR
1692 as cosponsors. This legislation, introduced by Representative
Jeff Fortenberry (R-Neb.), would amend the CPSIA to exempt
ordinary books from the lead limits within the bill. It’s easy to
contact representatives through the ALA Legislative Action Center,
here: http://capwiz.com/ala/home/