Message: 3 Date: Tue, 10 Feb 2009 10:47:22 -0800
From: Diedre Conkling <[email protected]> Subject: [Publib] Fwd: [District Dispatch] Consumer Product Safety Commission: Lead Issue Update Consumer Product Safety Commission: Lead Issue Update <http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/?p=1850> http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/?p=1850 February 10th, 2009 In discussing this situation with the ALA Washington Office attorney, Nathan Brown, we were advised that ALA's comment letter to the Consumer Product Safety Commission offered a statutory interpretation that the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act does not apply to libraries, even if it applies to books. Additionally, members of Congress have been telling ALA the same thing - the law was not intended to apply to books. We, therefore, believe strongly that the law does not apply to us unless and until CPSC clarifies otherwise by rule. We have urged the CPSC to clarify that our interpretation is correct. In the meantime, if a library is aware of a book possibly containing lead at harmful levels or the statutorily prescribed levels, it should remove that book. As we learn more about this issue, we will continue to post updates on this blog. Jessica McGilvray, Assistant Director ALA Office of Government Relations [email protected] -- Diedre Conkling [email protected] My thanks to the librarian listed above who has been posting these updates on PUBLIB. Laurie Mahaffey, Deputy Director Central Texas Library System, Inc. 1005 West 41st Street Austin, Texas 78756 www.ctls.net [email protected] 512-583-0704 x18 800-262-4431 x18
