CPSIA, Libraries, Testing...I'm so sick of this

A wonderful blog post from a part-time librarian about the costs of testing, even in light of the post-1985 ruling

Total library inventory: 34,668
Total est. juvenile inventory: 10, 601
Percentage of juvenile inventory: 31%

Estimate of inventory pre-1985: 75% or 7951 units

Now if we have to test pre-1985 inventory at $500/book: $3,975,375

please read her entire eloquent post - I just even more depressed now

Gee...another Friday another CPSIA PR piece

ok I admit it, I was busy having fun this weekend and didn't look around hard enough for the late breaking CPSIA news on Friday. Seems those fun guys over at CPSC have issued rules that

will not impose penalties on manufacturers, distributors or importers of children’s products made with natural products, some children’s books, and dyed or undyed textiles used for children’s apparel under the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act.

The CPSIA limits for lead and certain phthalate compounds in children’s products take effect Tuesday. Retailers must not sell items intended for children under 12 that contain more than 600 parts per million lead, or more than 0.1 percent phthalates.

Joseph Martyak, CPSC chief of staff, said Feb. 6 that the commission decided not to enforce on such products as wood and cotton that rarely contain lead. The commission is still drafting rules covering these items, but decided an enforcement stay was a common-sense approach.

However, the stay does not include articles made of leather, vinyl or polyvinylchloride (PVC), including zippers or metallic thread. The stay is limited to books published after 1985, since printing inks bearing lead were banned that year.

So do libraries have to remove all children's books published prior to 1985 or not? And since enforcement is really in the hands of the State AG's, there is nothing to stop them from going forth with prosecutions. AARRGGHHHHHHH!!!!!

If it's Friday after hours it must be time for late-breaking news from CPSC

Everyone should know by now that news that you want to bury should be released late on a Friday afternoon and our friends at the CPSC didn't let us down. Today they announced a one year stay of testing related to CPSIA but they really didn't let anyone off the hook. They make it clear that they expect retailers to comply with the law but basically they won't require testing until the mess can be sorted out.

ALA is reporting that an announcement will be made on Monday regarding libraries but they have no indication that a blanket exemption for books will be made.

The fight goes on...the issue is still very much alive ... I'm tired

ALA - CPSIA - are we ready for some action?

The newest ALA District Dispatch says:

“It is unfortunate that less than two weeks before the new law is set to effect, the Consumer Product Safety Commission has still failed to clarify whether libraries will be exempt from these burdensome requirements,” Congressman Lee said. “While I support any and all efforts to protect our children from harmful chemicals, this is an instance in which good policy has wrongly taken a backseat to good intentions.”

Congressman Lee first contacted the Commission about this issue on January 9, when he discussed it with the Commission’s acting chairman, Nancy A. Nord. That conversation followed up on a request Congressman Lee made to ensure consignment or thrift stores would be exempt from the same burdensome requirements that the libraries are now confronting.

so.. like... what are we supposed to do on February 10th?

I also just read that ALA has submitted comments and

urged the Commission to: (1) Issue guidance or other notification confirming that the new lead limits do not apply to library books and related materials; and (2) Determine by rule that ordinary books do not inherently contain lead or contain lead below the CPSIA lead limits. We believe both of these determinations are consistent with the language and intent of the CPSIA.

Latest on CPSIA and ALA and book

courtesy of my State Librarian - sounds like ALA wants librarians to bombard CPSC

===========================
A public meeting was held January 22 with Kristina Hatlelid, Directorate for Health Sciences, and other Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) staff to allow Allan Robert Adler, of the Association of American Publishers, and major publishing companies to discuss the lead content of books. The meeting was a time for the publishing companies to explain their research to the CPSC staff that proves that normal books (non-play, paper books) do not contain lead in the amount specified under the CPSIA. The publishing companies have compiled a group of 300 test results that can be viewed here .

After the meeting, Cheryl Falvey, General Counsel for the CPSC, stated that a decision should be made by the first week of February. 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. You can visit their Web site, found here , to submit your comments to the Commission. 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.

Please feel free to use the sample language below, but personalize it to make your comments known. Studies have shown that individual letters are significantly more effective than form letters, so let's make sure they understand how important their action will be.

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.

SAMPLE TEXT:

Dear General Counsel Falvey:

It has come to my attention that the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 has been interpreted to include books as a product that must be tested for lead. While I can understand the need to 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 would either they 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.

Sincerely,

YOUR NAME



###
Posted by:
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
kmurphy@alawash.org

Been busy this week....

trying to get caught up on others blogs and I ran across:

this charming discussion about book collections, relationships and the Gaylord catalog at Paper Cuts - I love the comment "Take my car, take my money, but walk away with my books over my cold, dead body"

a cool recipe for Medieval ink - and recipes for Monster cupcakes (I know, I know, it's not book related but it IS Halloween)

a wonderful look at The Musée des Arts et Métiers, Paris courtesy of Brass Goggles

a nifty calculator for determining the library's value to you courtesy of the Maine State Libraryy

a lovely article from The Guardian about the rooms where writers write

and last, but not least, J Godsey's post about the the upcoming release of Season 3 of Black Books

Library History Buff

cool new site of the day - check out Larry Nix's website on library history and assorted stuff - he's got bookplates, china, stock certificates, card catalogs and their amazing re-uses, post cards etc. etc. etc.