-
If you want breaking news sent to your email just click here.More >> If you want breaking news sent to your email just click here.More >>
Monterey, Calif- The new Consumer Product Safety Act, which is intended to keep lead out of all products for children twelve and under. The list of items include toys, clothes, games, furniture, books and just about every conceivable item that has to do with children. The law is in effect on February 10th all items must be tested for lead and fall below a new six hundred part per million limit or face the landfill. The lead limit applies not only to new products but also to inventory already on store shelves. This will be putting libraries in a compromising position. They will have to either pull thousands of children's books off their shelves for lead testing or ban children like ten year old Daniel Awebuck from the library.
"I wouldn't be too happy because there would be a lot less reading and reading is one of my favorite hobbies."
Daniel Awerbuck says that he would choose a book over a video game any-day. He often comes to the Monterey Public Library and reads books for hours on end. The library says that the law will affect forty thousand children's books that were checked out over ninety thousand times last year. Library Director Kim Bui-Burton say it would be a huge loss to the community and children.
"If children stop reading for three months their reading level goes back three months that is something we are really concerned about."
The American Library Association along with publishers are lobbying to try to exempt books from the act by presenting the commission with evidence that proves books don't pose any health risk to children and to test only touch and feel type of books that have plastic cloth or other material rather then pull all the books off the shelf.
"Through difficult economic times, a library can fill in that gap and be a place to share with a child at no cost." Says Kim Bui-Burton
Daniel says that the library is his go to source for homework and that his grades would be in jeopardy with out it.
"I find it more reliable then the internet, Wikipedia can not be too reliable."
The law will not only be affecting libraries but classrooms as well. Requiring that all books be tested for lead. Libraries are waiting to hear if they will be exempt from the law.
