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Angry Now
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chernobylred) about children's books produced before 1985 now being illegal for resale because of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA), passed by Congress last summer after the panic over lead paint on toys from China.
Apparently, because there are trace elements of lead in the inks used to print some picture books pre-1985, we are now supposed to be concerned about vast numbers of children EATING vast numbers of children's books and getting lead-poisoning.
The New Book Banning
It's funny, but I seem to recall being raised with a great many picture books that were printed before 1985, and both my sister and I are still alive. Hmmmm...
While the law as it stands currently means that used book stores and secondhand shops may be prohibited from selling these books, the American Library Association has determined that until they are told otherwise, it does not apply to library collections, since they are not selling the books, and at least the last time I worked in a children's library, were also fairly active in discouraging people from eating them!!!! (The law will, however, probably play havoc with library book sale donations.)
Somebody really wasn't thinking when they wrote this damned thing. Phooey.
UPDATE: Additional link in the form of a guide to the CPSIA for Small Businesses, Resellers, Crafters and Charities.
Here's hoping that an offical review of the regulations by slightly-less-panicky-morons will help.
chernobylred) about children's books produced before 1985 now being illegal for resale because of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA), passed by Congress last summer after the panic over lead paint on toys from China.Apparently, because there are trace elements of lead in the inks used to print some picture books pre-1985, we are now supposed to be concerned about vast numbers of children EATING vast numbers of children's books and getting lead-poisoning.
The New Book Banning
It's funny, but I seem to recall being raised with a great many picture books that were printed before 1985, and both my sister and I are still alive. Hmmmm...
While the law as it stands currently means that used book stores and secondhand shops may be prohibited from selling these books, the American Library Association has determined that until they are told otherwise, it does not apply to library collections, since they are not selling the books, and at least the last time I worked in a children's library, were also fairly active in discouraging people from eating them!!!! (The law will, however, probably play havoc with library book sale donations.)
Somebody really wasn't thinking when they wrote this damned thing. Phooey.
UPDATE: Additional link in the form of a guide to the CPSIA for Small Businesses, Resellers, Crafters and Charities.
Here's hoping that an offical review of the regulations by slightly-less-panicky-morons will help.