Paper Books - a DANGER to Children!

Patricia · 02-09-2009, 11:08 PM

"The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act is intended to protect children by mandating the testing of toys and other children’s products for lead. Good idea, right? But the law is vaguely-worded, and as written requires the testing of books for lead as well. This expensive and destructive testing could have serious implications for bookstores and libraries. Alternatives to testing include banning children under 12 from libraries to keep them safe."

http://www.sarahgoslee.com/2009/01/2...-the-children/

According to Forbes:

Quote:

TSince the law does not exempt books, children's' sections at libraries and bookstores will, at minimum, face price hikes on newly acquired titles and, at worse, may have to rethink older holdings.

After all, no one has the slightest idea how many future violations lie hidden in the stacks and few want to play a guessing game about how seriously officialdom will view illegality. "Either they take all the children's books off the shelves," Associate Executive Director Emily Sheketoff of the American Library Association told the Boston Phoenix, "or they ban children from the library."

Ebook, anyone?

desertgrandma · 02-09-2009, 11:18 PM

If it wasn't so sad, it would be funny.

dreams · 02-09-2009, 11:48 PM

And so the cost of textbooks, school supplies, and equipment..etc.. becomes even more outrageous

http://www.forbes.com/2009/01/16/cps...0116olson.html

"The law's provisions were billed as stringent, something applauded by high-minded commentators as a way to force the Mattels and Fisher-Prices of the world to keep more careful watch on the supply chains of their Chinese factories.

Barbed with penalties that include felony prison time and fines of $100,000, the law goes into effect in stages; one key deadline is Feb. 10, when it becomes unlawful to ship goods for sale that have not been tested. Eventually, new kids' goods will all have to be subjected to more stringent "third-party" testing, and it will be unlawful to give away untested inventory even for free.

The first thing to note is that we're not just talking about toys here. With few exceptions, the law covers all products intended primarily for children under 12. That includes clothing, fabric and textile goods of all kinds: hats, shoes, diapers, hair bands, sports pennants, Scouting patches, local school-logo gear and so on.

And paper goods: books, flash cards, board games, baseball cards, kits for home schoolers, party supplies and the like. And sporting equipment, outdoor gear, bikes, backpacks and telescopes. And furnishings for kids' rooms."

Justy · 02-09-2009, 11:54 PM

Wow, I can see this having some lasting fallout as the ramifications become more widely known.

Sweetpea · 02-10-2009, 02:42 AM

And here I thought the Dutch government was over-protective...

nohmi2 · 02-10-2009, 03:48 AM

Thank goodness this sort of ridiculous rule was not in force when I was a child.

Our local library became a sort of club which I attended from the age of seven. Saturday mornings were exciting with pals and a librarian-reader who would help us choose our books.

Over · 02-10-2009, 04:46 AM

It's funny how people tend to concentrate on ridiculous issues, while overlooking really important ones.

OTOH, maybe now the ereaders and ebooks will really take off

Sweetpea · 02-10-2009, 06:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nohmi2

Thank goodness this sort of ridiculous rule was not in force when I was a child.

Our local library became a sort of club which I attended from the age of seven. Saturday mornings were exciting with pals and a librarian-reader who would help us choose our books.

Same here! I'd be found there every Saturday until I was around 11 and I went to the big library at the nearby town. It was much, much, much larger! The only time I didn't go was when it was really pouring. I'd have to get there by bike and it was about 10km away.

Sparrow · 02-10-2009, 07:27 AM

I'd be surprised if library books weren't already covered in enough bacteria to contravene a host of health and safety regulations - and no-one has stripped the shelves yet.

Patricia · 02-10-2009, 07:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sparrow

I'd be surprised if library books weren't already covered in enough bacteria to contravene a host of health and safety regulations - and no-one has stripped the shelves yet.

Probably not as many bacteria as paper money.
Hmm. I wonder whether the new legislation mean that dollar bills have to be tested too?

Sweetpea · 02-10-2009, 09:04 AM

Just don't give money to children

slayda · 02-10-2009, 10:20 AM

Maybe it's part of the new President's stimulation package - to create new jobs testing toys for tots!

vivaldirules · 02-10-2009, 10:24 AM

I once saw my daughter about to breathe. She was actually going to inhale air which probably had god knows what in it. Well, I put an end to that in a hurry, let me tell you!

DixieGal · 02-10-2009, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sparrow

I'd be surprised if library books weren't already covered in enough bacteria to contravene a host of health and safety regulations - and no-one has stripped the shelves yet.

Quote:

Originally Posted by vivaldirules

I once saw my daughter about to breathe. She was actually going to inhale air which probably had god knows what in it. Well, I put an end to that in a hurry, let me tell you!

It's crazy. First, kids can't have pnut butter, and now they are taking away their library books. What's the world coming to?

OK, I do have a thought: These kids aren't risking lead poisoning by touching the books. They would have to eat them, right? Are kids allowed to eat library books? I don't think so.

Another thought: And who is to say with 100% surety that lead is bad for kids. What if they grow up all sickly and brittle, only to find out in 20 yrs that lead is an essential nutrient? Is anyone thinking about that? Won't someone think of the children?

lilac_jive · 02-10-2009, 10:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vivaldirules

I once saw my daughter about to breathe. She was actually going to inhale air which probably had god knows what in it. Well, I put an end to that in a hurry, let me tell you!

Fark.com calls England the Nanny State for reasons such as this.

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02-09-2009, 11:18 PM	#2
desertgrandma Enjoying the show.... Posts: 14,270 Karma: 10462841 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Arizona Device: A K1, Kindle Paperwhite, an Ipod, IPad2, Iphone, an Ipad Mini & macAir	If it wasn't so sad, it would be funny.

02-09-2009, 11:48 PM	#3
dreams It's about the umbrella Posts: 25,112 Karma: 56250158 Join Date: Jan 2009 Device: Sony 505\| K Fire \| KK 3G+Wi-Fi \| iPhone 3Gs \|Vista 32-bit Hm Prem w/FF	And so the cost of textbooks, school supplies, and equipment..etc.. becomes even more outrageous http://www.forbes.com/2009/01/16/cps...0116olson.html "The law's provisions were billed as stringent, something applauded by high-minded commentators as a way to force the Mattels and Fisher-Prices of the world to keep more careful watch on the supply chains of their Chinese factories. Barbed with penalties that include felony prison time and fines of $100,000, the law goes into effect in stages; one key deadline is Feb. 10, when it becomes unlawful to ship goods for sale that have not been tested. Eventually, new kids' goods will all have to be subjected to more stringent "third-party" testing, and it will be unlawful to give away untested inventory even for free. The first thing to note is that we're not just talking about toys here. With few exceptions, the law covers all products intended primarily for children under 12. That includes clothing, fabric and textile goods of all kinds: hats, shoes, diapers, hair bands, sports pennants, Scouting patches, local school-logo gear and so on. And paper goods: books, flash cards, board games, baseball cards, kits for home schoolers, party supplies and the like. And sporting equipment, outdoor gear, bikes, backpacks and telescopes. And furnishings for kids' rooms."

02-09-2009, 11:54 PM	#4
Justy Fanatic Posts: 547 Karma: 27509 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Greater Vancouver Area, BC, Canada Device: Nexus 7, Sony Xperia z3 tablet, Kobo Glo, Boyue T63	Wow, I can see this having some lasting fallout as the ramifications become more widely known.

02-10-2009, 02:42 AM	#5
Sweetpea Grand Sorcerer Posts: 9,707 Karma: 32763414 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Krewerd Device: Pocketbook Inkpad 4 Color; Samsung Galaxy Tab S6	And here I thought the Dutch government was over-protective...

02-10-2009, 03:48 AM	#6
nohmi2 Pensively observing. Posts: 1,758 Karma: 12675456 Join Date: Jun 2008 Device: Varied.	Thank goodness this sort of ridiculous rule was not in force when I was a child. Our local library became a sort of club which I attended from the age of seven. Saturday mornings were exciting with pals and a librarian-reader who would help us choose our books.

02-10-2009, 04:46 AM	#7
Over Wizard Posts: 1,462 Karma: 6061516 Join Date: May 2008 Location: Cascais, Portugal Device: Kindle PW, Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 12.2", OnePlus 6	It's funny how people tend to concentrate on ridiculous issues, while overlooking really important ones. OTOH, maybe now the ereaders and ebooks will really take off

02-10-2009, 07:27 AM	#9
Sparrow Wizard Posts: 4,395 Karma: 1358132 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: UK Device: Palm TX, CyBook Gen3	I'd be surprised if library books weren't already covered in enough bacteria to contravene a host of health and safety regulations - and no-one has stripped the shelves yet.

02-10-2009, 09:04 AM	#11
Sweetpea Grand Sorcerer Posts: 9,707 Karma: 32763414 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Krewerd Device: Pocketbook Inkpad 4 Color; Samsung Galaxy Tab S6	Just don't give money to children

02-10-2009, 10:20 AM	#12
slayda Retired & reading more! Posts: 2,764 Karma: 1884247 Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: North Alabama, USA Device: Kindle 1, iPad Air 2, iPhone 6S+, Kobo Aura One	Maybe it's part of the new President's stimulation package - to create new jobs testing toys for tots!

02-10-2009, 10:24 AM	#13
vivaldirules When's Doughnut Day? Posts: 10,059 Karma: 13675475 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Houston, TX, US Device: Sony PRS-505, iPad	I once saw my daughter about to breathe. She was actually going to inhale air which probably had god knows what in it. Well, I put an end to that in a hurry, let me tell you!

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