Friday, January 23, 2009

Scary Library Shit

I just got this note through my email and it's very important so I figured I'd post it here and try to help spread awareness. I twittered about it earlier.

January 22, 2009

Dear Nathaniel,

A public meeting was held January 22, and Cheryl Falvey, General Counsel for the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), stated that a decision should be made by the first week of February regarding libraries. She advised libraries not to take any action at this time, and we are hopeful that the Commission’s decision will exempt libraries.

Even with her assurances, we must let the CPSC know how important an issue this is to libraries. Please call the Acting Commissioner, Nancy Nord, at (301) 504-7923. When you call this number, wait for the automated directory to give you directions to reach Nancy Nord’s office. Explain to the Commission that it is simply impossible for libraries to remove all children’s books from the shelves and/or ban children under 12 from the library and still provide the level of service that is needed.

As always, thank you for all that you do. The only way we will be successful in ensuring that children will have access to safe books is with a strong grassroots effort. Your comments to the CPSC need to be submitted as soon as possible, so please tell all your friends and family – we need as many people as possible to communicate that this oversight could have lasting ramifications on our children and our communities.

  • The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 has been interpreted to include books as a product that must be tested for lead. While it is understandable that the CPSC must protect children from toxic materials, publishers have already tested the book components and found that the lead levels are lower than the regulations require three years from now. Additionally, all book recalls in the last two decades have been because of toys attached to the books that posed a choking hazard, not the books themselves.
  • Making these testing regulations retroactive would require both school and public libraries to take drastic steps to come into compliance. They either would have to ban children from their libraries or pull every book intended for children under the age of 12 from their bookshelves at the time children are fostering a lifelong love of learning and reading.
  • In order to allow children and families to continue accessing critical library materials, please either exempt books from the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008, accept the component tests that have already been done, or exempt all books currently in school and public libraries. This will ensure that our children continue to have access to safe and educational library materials.

Thank you for your continued support of libraries!

Sincerely,
Kristin Murphy
Government Relations Specialist
American Library Association - Washington Office
1615 New Hampshire Avenue NW
Washington, D.C. 20009-2520
Phone Number: 202.628.8410
Fax: 202.628.8419

9 comments:

Unknown January 23, 2009 at 9:55 AM  

Hi, just go here via Neil Gaiman and I am interested in doing my part. Is there a letter I can sgn and circulate, or should we bombard with phone calls?
Thanks
Christina Morris

Anonymous January 23, 2009 at 10:19 AM  

This is another example of over reacting and fear mongering. Thankk you for bringing this to our attention and to Neil Gaiman for spreading the word.

Unknown January 23, 2009 at 10:19 AM  

OK, while I would rather write, I called and left a message. Thanks for posting the letter!
Christina Morris

rackfocus January 23, 2009 at 12:30 PM  

Drafting a letter now. Thanks for the information.

Rol January 23, 2009 at 9:30 PM  

How can they even breathe without fear? They are reaching the edge for reals. Tks Neil

Jane Lowry January 24, 2009 at 7:13 PM  

For chmchm - you can, in fact, contact the Council by email. Here is the link: http://www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/newleg.aspx
I certainly hope this comes to the attention of the new administration; I'm certain President Obama would put a stop to this foolishness if he knew about it. Thanks much Mr.Gaiman, for pointing this out and your continued support of libraries and librarians.

Unknown February 8, 2009 at 5:42 AM  

What kind of bullshit law is this? What are the chances that a kid will intake lead from a book??? If it only had to do with paints, toys, and other things that a child can easily breathe in or ingest, it would make sense. But do they really think that a kid will sit there licking the pages? Kids do some pretty stupid things, but this is just paranoid.

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