Take action if you don't want your kids banned from libraries!

Rating: 5 after 4 votes

You may have seen reference to the CPSIA legislation as it applies to children's toys and handmade items, but did you know that as currently written, it also applies to children's books?

Unless the law is changed, effective in mid-February, either children's books will have to be pulled from the shelves of school and public libraries OR children under 12 will be banned from libraries.

Think I'm kidding? See this press release from the American Library Association for more information.

I just finished contacting the CPSC and my representative and Senator. (Yes, I'm from Minnesota, and we currently have only one Senator.) I also alerted my family and friends to this situation.

What are you going to do to be sure your kids can continue to enjoy libraries?

Tags: children, cpsia, kids, libraries

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Michele on January 29, 2009 at 9:30am: I plan on reposting the information on my own blog - figure the more people aware, the better.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Bridget Smith on January 30, 2009 at 9:42am: I'll get busy on this today!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Bridget on January 31, 2009 at 11:00pm: Oh this is just crazy; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by mel on February 1, 2009 at 4:34pm: Why does the government think it needs to protect us from ourselves????? This is just Orwellian!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Janet Littlecrow on February 2, 2009 at 12:44am: The CPSC FINALLY issued a "stay" for the required testing & certification of clothing on Friday Jan 30. The law will still go into effect, we can still be charged with a felony if we sold something containing lead (fabrics don't). We're not off the hook, and I'm not really sure that the CPSC has the LEGAL right to issue the stay. It may be overturned or challenged in court, so we'll just have to wait & see. The law needs to be amended by Congress! And it doesn't mean that the states Attorney Generals will honor the "stay" since it's NOT actually law - only a recommendation from the CPSC. Congress must amend the law to make it legal.

We can only HOPE that the CPSC will issue a "stay" for libraries & books this coming week. And that they make it apply to birthday cards, party invitations, school books & other printed materials.

If they DON'T get their collective heads out before the ban, I think that libraries across the country should wrap crime tape around their children's book sections, draw chalk outlines of children on the floor, and pile books up with danger signs that say "Banned Hazardous Goods". I read the idea about the crime scene tape on someone's blog, it's not my original idea. But I think the idea would be FABULOUS if every library did it, it would sure bring attention to the stupidity of the law based on politics instead of SCIENCE!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Janet Littlecrow on February 2, 2009 at 1:12am: Get on the phone this week and contact your state's US Congressional Representatives, and call their Washington DC offices EVERY DAY. Put some real pressure on their offices. The squeaky wheel gets the grease, right? It worked for our clothing testing reprieve! Hundreds of us "nobody" people from around the country kept calling & emailing incessantly, and finally got their attention.

Ask them if they think our children should concentrate on a career in marching bands and sports instead of learning science, math and literature? Science equipment manufacturers are already discontinuing sales to schools because of this law (as if 12 year old kids are sucking on their microscope light bulbs). I was in the Information Technology field for 20 years before "retiring to the rez" to start our own business, & my degree is in IT. I couldn't go back if I wanted to, the world is changing too fast. Our kids need every advantage they can get to compete in tomorrows global economy. My grown daughter works in GIS (Geographic Info Systems) & is constantly taking classes to keep up. We need to step UP the learning level of our kids, not take their books away. Back in 1981, I PROVED to a school board that kids could understand computers by teaching a class of 6th graders how to convert numbers to binary & hexadecimal numbers used by computer location addressing. Over 3/4 of the 6th grade class was able to do the conversions by the end of my 30 minute presentation about computers (I owned one of the first Apple PC's & worked on big IBM systems). In contrast, it seems to me that most of our Congressional representatives must be illiterate, because nearly every one of them voted for this short-sighted law.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Shari on February 2, 2009 at 12:49pm: How funny - I posted a blog on this a few weeks back (http://www.twittermoms.com/profiles/blogs/by-helping-our-public). Guess I don't have enough followers to make a blip on the blogosphere :-); ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Michele Puccini on February 3, 2009 at 2:37pm: I just forwarded all this info to Glenn Beck on Fox News. Hopefully, he will talk about it and get the word out.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by BeckyB on February 3, 2009 at 6:06pm: I was so surprised when I read this - absolutely crazy!!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Janet Littlecrow on February 3, 2009 at 6:35pm

Here's a link to a Forbes article today about the new law, calling it the equivalent of using a bazooka to kill a gnat.

I was in two small quilt shops yesterday looking for fabric, and both were selling handmade baby quilts. Neither owner had any idea that (until the testing "stay" was issued last Friday) they would have been committing a federal felony on Feb. 10 under this law.

http://www.forbes.com/2009/02/01/cpsia-congress-lead-opinions-colum...

I just talked to my attorney a while ago, who was all over DC during the week of the inauguration making contacts about this law. She's Native American too, and this law affects our culture seriously! She said the same thing others have, they only issued the "stay" to quiet down the rabble-rousers like me who were making them look bad in the press. We've got to keep the pressure on the CSPC & Congress to FIX the law.

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no_baby_mocs.jpg, 21 KB

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Permalink Reply by Tamara Maellaro on February 5, 2009 at 9:31am: I have already posted this on my blog. Thanks for the info.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Little Miss Julia on February 7, 2009 at 1:30pm: Childrens books printed after 1985 can now be in libraries. However, have to wonder if books with staples will need to be removed.

Scary part of all this is the State Attorney Generals are chimming in and saying they are going to enforce all this. Saw statements by NY and CT.; ▶ Reply to This