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.

This week at ALA

So ALA is meeting in Denver and I only had time to visit the exhibits and not stage some goofy action - turns out I didn't need to - according to Library Journal at the meeting on Sunday the ALA call last week to get Librarians active is doing the trick

So many calls were made, ALA executive director Keith Fiels said yesterday at the ALA Midwinter Meeting in Denver, that “this commissioner has subsequently begged us to stop calling.” Now ALA is targeting the other commissioner, Thomas Moore. “I’m sure he can’t wait to hear from you,” ALA President Jim Rettig said, with a touch of irony.

Fiels said, “The commission does, we’ve been told by Congress, has the ability to grant an exemption, either to libraries or specifically for books. If that does not occur, I believe Congress will take action. This is all in negotiation. We’re working against a February 10 deadline.

keeps those phone wires burning folks

Day 7 of the CPSIA seige

I got on this roll about CPSIA because I was flat on my back with this flu/cold that is going around and I had way too much time on my hands. Last week folks on the used book sellers list that I belong to, started talking about it after reading the ruling that books were to be included in the products requiring testing. It really took a bit to sink in and then when I found out that Diana DeGette, my Rep, was to co-sponsor of the bill that started this whole mess, I decided to follow the urging of Nora O'Neill and sent the template letter and copy of a used children's book, Just Like Abraham Lincoln, to Degette. I also posted an e-mail inquiry to DeGette's website but as of today I have not received a reply.

On Monday I posted an inquiry to libnet, a list for librarians in Colorado, to see if anyone had heard anything about CPSIA and if it applied to libraries. Nobody had heard anything about but Gene Hainer, the Colorado State Librarian, said he would check with the American Library Association (ALA) and other State Librarians to see if they knew anything. Our library discussion centered on its applicability to Friends of the Library (FOL) sales among other things.

Gene appears to have gotten ALA hot on the trail of CPSIA and yesterday they got the ball rolling from a library perspective. Some great publicity on libraries having to pull books from the shelves or bar children from libraries, including this fabulous quote

Historically, books have been considered more dangerous to read than to eat.

Now ALA has a great wiki which includes a link to this blog - now I feel compelled to write more - lol

I've spent the week keeping my twitter updates online, posting to blogs, checking my e-mail far more than normal. I'm twitterd/blogged out - it's Saturday and I'm off to the Lafayette Oatmeal Festival, followed by a pantless ride on RTD and finishing out my day with another evening at the Festivus Film festival

Life is good!

ALA letter on CPSIA

The American Library Association has now publicly tackled CPSIA

If the CPSIA is applied to books and paper-based materials, as indicated by the Commission’s General Counsel, public, school and museum libraries will have to either remove all their books or ban all children under 12 from visiting. This cannot be what the Congress intended.

Yee-haw!!!

CPSIA Updates

Resellers will be exempt from testing certification - great news for used book sellers

The American Library Association will be making an announcement about their concerns over the decision to not exempt books and their planned action - as soon as it happens I'll post something here