Protecting Kids From a Lifetime of Reading

Last month I made a brief, snarky comment on the subject of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act and the threat it poses for libraries and sellers of old books. The law, as currently written, would keep older books out of the hands of children. Since the cost of testing thousands (or millions) of books printed before 1985 (which was when publishers switched over to soy-based ink) is insanely expensive, librarians would either have to ban kids from the children's room or they'd have to get rid of the books. The intent was to protect kids, but the result could lead to the biggest book burning since Berlin, 1933.

Bibliophile Bullpen now informs us of (and posts the text of) a new bill, H.R. 1692, that would fix the flaw in the law and save the books.

If you think that kids and books shouldn't be kept apart it might be a good idea to give this bill your vocal support. You could contact the congressman who wrote it, or you might just want to contact your own congressman.