The Sale of Children's Books to be Banned

The Sale of Children's Books to be Banned
By Heather Idoni
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http://www.mothering.com/discussions....php?t=1023244

Oh, how I wish this were a joke! But it is a grim and looming,
almost Orwellian, reality.

Effective February 10th, in the United States, the sale of
all children's books (books intended for children ages 12 and
under) is to be PROHIBITED. Every single book printed prior
to the ruling is affected, whether new or used. New books in
production are required to include a "lead-free" certification
and will be the only books that are legal to offer for sale.

What does this mean to the homeschooling family?

Well, for one, curriculum fairs across the country will be
cancelled as book vendors scramble to figure out how to comply
with the new ruling. Complete book inventories will have to be
destroyed -- the ruling even prohibits giving away the books!
Local thrift stores will be hard hit -- most will likely have to
close their doors -- yes, even Goodwill and Salvation Army.

Clothing, toys and books -- even CDs and DVDs are included in the
ruling. Thrift stores will no longer be able to accept or process
anything (including clothing) that would be intended for a child.

No more library sales. Libraries will not be permitted to give
away or sell book donations. It is unsure yet, however, how
the
libraries' shelves themselves will be impacted (the ruling
doesn't explicitly mention "loaning" books, just selling or
giving them away). The key word, however, is "distribution" --
libraries may well be required to destroy books from their shelves.


http://www.govit.com/hr_4040/to_establish_consumer_product_safety_standards_and_other_saf/

here's what i can find in relation to books. it is from this link:
http://www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/faq/101faq.html

Does the new requirement for total lead on children's products apply to children's books, cassettes and CD's, printed game boards, posters and other printed goods used for children's education?

In general, yes. CPSIA defines children’s products as those products intended primarily for use by children 12 and under. Accordingly, these products would be subject to the lead limit for paint and surface coatings at 16 CFR part 1303 (and the 90 ppm lead paint limit effective August 14, 2009) as well as the new lead limits for children’s products containing lead (600 ppm lead limit effective February 10, 2009, and 300 ppm lead limit effective August 14, 2009). If the children’s products use printing inks or materials which actually become a part of the substrate, such as the pigment in a plastic article, or those materials which are actually bonded to the substrate, such as by electroplating or ceramic glazing, they would be excluded from the lead paint limit. However, these products are still considered to be lead containing products irrespective of whether such products are excluded from the lead paint limit and are subject to the lead limits for children’s products containing lead. For lead containing children’s products, CPSIA specifically provides that paint, coatings, or electroplating may not be considered a barrier that would render lead in the substrate inaccessible to a child.

Think it's not true? Think it's not serious?

The American Library Association and the Publisher's Association are not taking this lightly.

PLEASE look at the following links, from which I quote sparingly (GO to the links and READ them---DO NOT write me back debunking this if you haven't read it, ok?)

Ruling requires schools and libraries to remove children’s books for safety testing ________________________________________
http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/?p=1322

CPSC ruling requires children’s books to be removed for safety testing

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The American Library Association (ALA) released a letter to Congress yesterday, urging members to take action against a recent opinion ruling released from the General Counsel of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) that would require public, school, academic and museum libraries to either remove all their books or ban all children under 12 from visiting the facilities, beginning on February 10.
(please GO to LINK to read entire article)

Industry Scrambling to Comply with Child Safety Act http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6627969.html
By Karen Raugust -- Publishers Weekly, 1/9/2009 8:30:00 AM

My son's school in junction with the church holds book swaps many times throughout the year.

I would suggest other communities do this as well.

What about collectors and dealers of antiques?

Are you guys understanding the point of this here? The way I am reading it: If the books contain lead levels that exceed levels recommended as safe for children, the books cannot be resold.

Well, yeah-that makes sense. I do not understand all of the ire...

You would RATHER put your children at risk of heavy metal contamination??? (I know that this is not what you are saying.)

This works for me. Children do not off load heavy metals like adults can.

Here is an article from 2007 regarding soy based alternatives to the lead based ink being used....way to give those soy farmers a boost rather than a subsidy, jmo...
http://news.bookweb.org/news/5695.html

I sure wouldn't want my kid exposed to lead.

I sincerely don't see books as a threat for high-level lead poisoning! How many kids have you heard or read about who have lead poisoning from chewing on a book? Books aren't playthings...do kids older than maybe two stick books in their mouths on a regular basis? The law says kids under 12...do 12 year olds sit around with books in their mouths, poisoning themselves?

This does not work for me. We're already in a society where reading is not revered, where more and more kids would rather "wait for the movie." This screams Fahrenheit 451 to me.

Have school books, library books, and kids' book had lead in them up to now? If so, why wasn't it important and why wasn't anything done about a long long time ago. I worry more about all this crap being sent into this country from China and not being tested. What are they going to do about that and how will they enforce it?

clipped from: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09086.html
..... The new law requires that domestic manufacturers and importers certify that children’s products made after February 10 meet all the new safety standards and the lead ban. Sellers of used children’s products, such as thrift stores and consignment stores, are not required to certify that those products meet the new lead limits, phthalates standard or new toy standards.... the article clarifies rules regarding resale of items likely to have lead and prohibits sales of recalled items. Recalled items lists are available on the cpsc website. See also: http://www.cpsc.gov/library/foia/advisory/323.pdf the 1st and second paragraphs clarify that "ordinary books" are not subject to the ban, though a book designed for children would need to meet the new limits.Based on what book items have been recalled in the past, I would think this would apply to more 'toy' type books, like pop ups, rubber or vinyl. FWIW, I wish I had a dime for every time I told my son to "get that out of your mouth"

Snackcakes66 said:

clipped from: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09086.html
..... The new law requires that domestic manufacturers and importers certify that children’s products made after February 10 meet all the new safety standards and the lead ban. Sellers of used children’s products, such as thrift stores and consignment stores, are not required to certify that those products meet the new lead limits, phthalates standard or new toy standards.... the article clarifies rules regarding resale of items likely to have lead and prohibits sales of recalled items. Recalled items lists are available on the cpsc website. See also: http://www.cpsc.gov/library/foia/advisory/323.pdf the 1st and second paragraphs clarify that "ordinary books" are not subject to the ban, though a book designed for children would need to meet the new limits.Based on what book items have been recalled in the past, I would think this would apply to more 'toy' type books, like pop ups, rubber or vinyl. FWIW, I wish I had a dime for every time I told my son to "get that out of your mouth"

Click to expand...

Thank you for the links. Are "cloth" paged books part of the ban~ anyone know?

While they are banning these vinyl, rubber books, I believe they should be banning the sale of the rest of the lead filled stuff from China too. I'm starting to wonder if anything in the dollar stores would pass a lead exam?

Um This makes no sense to me ?
And exactly how does all this destroying of god knows how many books help the "Green" climate Change Reduction on the Environment

This is ABSURD

Sure make new improved books but this is absolutely maddening

There are far more things that kill children EVERYDAY than BOOKS

I don't live there but I urge you all to write to whoever you need to write to - The president whoever but this is madness

It is all in the interpretation... pretty much the article I am linking to is saying that the law is subjective, and that the law dealing with lead in toys saw no intention set forth to include books.

http://www.libraryjournal.com/index...lk_back_header_id=6578943&articleid=CA6628453

*snip*
Our analysis is that neither the law nor the legislative history indicates any Congressional intention to include books and even textbooks in the law

We hear ya... the problem seems to be who will test.

and how will things be tested. Now this was posted a week or so ago on WS about used kids clothing.... and started because some gym shoe company had a lead charm tied to a shoe a child of 4 swallowed. Leave it to yourselves to decide how and who should be responsible for say small things going into kids mouths- even at 4... and just exactly how responsible are parents or manufacturers....

believe09 said:

Are you guys understanding the point of this here? The way I am reading it: If the books contain lead levels that exceed levels recommended as safe for children, the books cannot be resold.

Well, yeah-that makes sense. I do not understand all of the ire...

You would RATHER put your children at risk of heavy metal contamination??? (I know that this is not what you are saying.)

This works for me. Children do not off load heavy metals like adults can.

Click to expand...

What I do not get is.. why can't they correct the wording in the law.. it is just typical for them to say yes that sounds like a good idea but never make it clear.. They need to control the Cr-p that comes in from China that is it.. period... and I believe it needs to be worded anything printed after Feb 2009 blah blah blah..
Its kinda like those emails we have recieved.. how did we ever survive .. growing up without this & that you know what I mean. and further more while I am at it .. what about all the Sea going vessels dumping their garbage in the ocean and pollution run amoke there... all the seafood with mercury levels over the top.. FDA recommends that we do not eat fish more than once a week...

aren't they doing this to childrens clothing too? causing used clothing stores to have to shut down?

GetSmart said:

Think it's not true? Think it's not serious?

The American Library Association and the Publisher's Association are not taking this lightly.

PLEASE look at the following links, from which I quote sparingly (GO to the links and READ them---DO NOT write me back debunking this if you haven't read it, ok?)

Ruling requires schools and libraries to remove children’s books for safety testing ________________________________________
http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/?p=1322

CPSC ruling requires children’s books to be removed for safety testing

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The American Library Association (ALA) released a letter to Congress yesterday, urging members to take action against a recent opinion ruling released from the General Counsel of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) that would require public, school, academic and museum libraries to either remove all their books or ban all children under 12 from visiting the facilities, beginning on February 10.
(please GO to LINK to read entire article)

Industry Scrambling to Comply with Child Safety Act http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6627969.html
By Karen Raugust -- Publishers Weekly, 1/9/2009 8:30:00 AM

Click to expand...

Aye Yi Yi.

I was raised with lead books and I'm ok. IMO.

First, I love mothering.com!

Second, a petition/how you can help:
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/handmadetoys/
http://www.handmadetoyalliance.org/how-you-can-help

If all this comes down to shutting down the sale of all used kids stuff, well what do the lawmakers care. You can bet they don't have to depend on thrift store clothing etc. like so much of the regular population does.

All new, and probably expensive things for them. They have lots of money from picking our lead filled pockets!

FWIW, I think that this is not an over reaction, but I happen to believe that we have a few generations under our belt who have accumulated varying levels of heavy metals via touch, taste or plain ingestion with varying results and none of them positive. I will save that rant for another day.

When it comes to those who are the most vulnerable to poisoning however, common sense would dictate that we should err on the side of caution. While you and yours might not be genetically susceptible to disease or conditions caused by toxicity, there are many who are. A single touch of a toxic item may not affect you, but when you are being bombarded with lead in your toys, your books, your clothing, your drinking water, your food containers and your vaccines it adds up and it is not shed very easily.

JMO.

believe09 said:

FWIW, I think that this is not an over reaction, but I happen to believe that we have a few generations under our belt who have accumulated varying levels of heavy metals via touch, taste or plain ingestion with varying results and none of them positive. I will save that rant for another day.

When it comes to those who are the most vulnerable to poisoning however, common sense would dictate that we should err on the side of caution. While you and yours might not be genetically susceptible to disease or conditions caused by toxicity, there are many who are. A single touch of a toxic item may not affect you, but when you are being bombarded with lead in your toys, your books, your clothing, your drinking water, your food containers and your vaccines it adds up and it is not shed very easily.

JMO.

Click to expand...

I totally see what you're saying believe. But I just hope they don't go over-board with it and make perfectly okay things unavailable for people who really need thrift shops to make it.