Could New Lead Law Cause Library Ban of Children?

[The Straight Story]

Could New Lead Law Cause Library Ban of Children?By Michael Owens
Reporter / Bristol Herald Courier
Published: January 14, 2009

BRISTOL, Va. – Barring a drastic change in legal interpretation, public libraries across the nation might soon consider banning children.

The American Library Association, a nationwide library advocacy organization, fears such bans are the only option left available by a new federal lead-testing law that takes effect Feb. 10.

Toys are the main target of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act approved by Congress last August as a way to protect children from toxic playthings on store shelves.

Secondary targets include children’s clothing, electronics, furniture and, as determined weeks ago in a federal memo, books.

...

Though the ban is aimed at items for sale, the American Library Association points out there is no official federal ruling that exempts books loaned to children.

“Unless I hear a ruling in the next 10 days ... I am going to recommend to my membership that they either remove from shelves, or bar children 12 and under from coming into the library,” ALA Associate Director Emily Sheketoff told the Bristol Herald Courier on Tuesday. The alternative, she said, could mean flouting federal law and risking hefty fines.

http://www.tricities.com/tri/news/local/article/banning_children_from_public_libraries_only_option_under_new_federal_lead-t/18772/

[MADem]

1. I really despise bureaucratic stupidity. nt

[ananda]

2. Books have lead?

???

[enlightenment]

3. Apparently.

I would think a child would have to consume a shelf of Golden Books to reach toxic levels, but leave it to the government . . .

http://www.cpsc.gov/library/foia/advisory/323.pdf

[htuttle]

4. Some older inks might have lead, but that's not actually the issue

As I understand the new law, it requires lab testing of materials intended for children to certify that they are lead free. So the problem a library would have is that it couldn't *prove* that it's books had no lead, irrespective of whether they actually had lead content or not.

Been hearing about this law from the point of view of smaller arts and crafts people and they have the same issues. It's the certification requirement that is so onerous.

[XemaSab]

7. Wouldn't you have to destroy the books in order to test them?

This law seems like teh stupid. :banghead:

[Pithlet]

5. I think it's a ridiculous overreaction by the ALA

There's no exemption of already purchased toys, either, is there. Guess that means I'm supposed to ban my own children from my home? Oh nos! They're going to fine me, too! Get real. I think clear intent of the law was to protect consumers. Not go after friggin libraries.

[pnwmom]

6. No, it's a stupidly written law . Librarians have a reason to feel threatened,

given the pressure brought to bear on them by the Homeland Security people.

What if they refused to cooperate in an investigation and then got charged with this stupid law?

[Pithlet]

8. No, it's hysteria, plain and simple.

This wasn't homeland security. This was a law designed to protect consumers. Look, I could understand the beef that some small toy makers had with it. But there was a lot of misinterpretation of the law that lead to outright hysteria, and this is just another example of it. Banning children from libraries over a law that requires toymakers to test for lead?. Utterly ridiculous. I mean, does she think that day care centers, and children's hospitals, and every other thing that caters to children and has physical contact with them are just going to have to shut down all over America, too, because they can't or won't test the things that touch them? It's just silly. The law can't enumerate every single little thing. Libraries aren't a manufacturer or retailer. They're not selling a product. Why on earth would they be affected by a law meant to protect consumers? The ALA are off their rocker on this one. They're no more a target of this law than schools, daycares, children's hospitals, etc. These laws are clearly meant for people who actually manufacture and sell products. They don't make libraries and schools illegal.

[WePurrsevere]

9. I posted more information on this new law..

in the eBay, etc area here since it will effect sellers of older items and handcrafted:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=403&topic_id=2537&mesg_id=2537

FWIW second hand (and therefore vintage) toys, etc are exempt supposedly so my SWAG is that Library books are as well. The problem I have with this decision is that it's interpretive and therefore more likely to be changed and cause more confusion down the road.

The law although well intentioned was over reactive and not well thought out at all. Throwing the baby out with the bathwater isn't the answer and the lawmakers need to go back at this while engaging brain a bit more.

[Trillo]

10. I believe the librarians

My old friend, the TV repair guy (who died recently) had a shop with the new lead free solder, and the old solder. While he was in hospice, I was helping out in his shop (it was closed up by then), and needed to solder a new power terminal on one of my laptops as something I was doing for myself. I tried the new "lead free solder", and it was total crap compared to the older lead solder. Very difficult to get it to cool properly without cracking, and it doesn't flow as well (probably related to each other)

I talked to him about it, and while he was doped up pretty good on pain killers at that point, he confirmed it wasn't my technique that was the issue, the old lead solder was much easier to use.

I find it hard to believe that lead solder in older electronic equipment poses any danger to children in a library, though it very well might to the folks that work on repairing that equipment. Consequently, I'm feeling that the librarians are correct, it's just another law to soak taxpayers, and close up services.