The ALA was FOR CPSIA Before They Were Against It

The Common Room: The ALA was FOR CPSIA Before They Were Against It

Click on the link above and read it and its many linked sources. As the first comment says:

"Wow. That would make the ALA the biggest supporters of censorship in American history.

"And possibly the biggest hypocrites, too."

I had already praised the ALA in "ALA Uses Common Sense on CPSIA Child Safety Issue; Congratulations to Emily Sheketoff and the ALA Washington Office." Now it looks as if that praise may have been at least partially unwarranted.


NOTE ADDED 13 May 2011:

Good news:  "Good News for Libraries, Bad News for Publishers in Proposed CPSIA Amendment," by Karen Raugust, Publishers Weekly, 13 May 2011.

A proposed bill that would amend the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) of 2008 is giving hope to many of the industries affected by the Act, including children’s libraries and used booksellers. “It solves our problem,” says Emily Sheketoff, executive director of the American Library Association’s Washington Office.

.

ALA Uses Common Sense on CPSIA Child Safety Issue; Congratulations to Emily Sheketoff and the ALA Washington Office

The American Library Association [ALA] is using common sense on a library child safety issue, and I congratulate Emily Sheketoff of the ALA. A proposed federal law would require children's products, including books, to be checked for lead, and libraries may be held liable, even if no child gets lead poisoning. I know, sounds silly, doesn't it? But see: "Congress Bans Kids From Libraries? New Safety Law May Prohibit Children Under 12 from Libraries–or Make Many Books Illegal," by Lissa Harris, The Boston Phoenix, 9 January 2009. Quote, emphasis mine:

Is it possible that Congress has just inadvertently turned millions of children’s books into contraband? .... “We are very busy trying to come up with a way to make [the proposed law] not apply to libraries,” said Sheketoff. But unless she succeeds in lobbying Capitol Hill for an exemption, she believes libraries have two choices under the CPSIA [Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act]: “Either they take all the children’s books off the shelves,” she says, “or they ban children from the library.”

SafeLibraries is very concerned about child safety in the public library. But CPSIA is overbroad. The ALA is right for taking a stand against this legislation. Way to go, Emily Sheketoff and the ALA Washington Office!

For more on how CPSIA is overbroad, see: "CPSIA: Furor Builds Over Toyless Shelves," by Walter Olson, Overlawyered, 11 January 2009.


NOTE ADDED 13 May 2011:

Good news:  "Good News for Libraries, Bad News for Publishers in Proposed CPSIA Amendment," by Karen Raugust, Publishers Weekly, 13 May 2011.

A proposed bill that would amend the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) of 2008 is giving hope to many of the industries affected by the Act, including children’s libraries and used booksellers. “It solves our problem,” says Emily Sheketoff, executive director of the American Library Association’s Washington Office.

.