Statement Relating to Lead Products in Children's Books

Full text of statement by Inez Tenenbaum, Chairman, Consumer Product Safety Commission, found here.

Excerpt: The Commission also recognizes that testing and certification of books published prior to 1985 is not required for libraries and resellers because they do not typically manufacture or import children’s books. Because older children’s books did not use the modern CMYK printing process and some have been found to contain lead, the Commission was unable to make a determination that older books or their components do not exceed the CPSIA’s lead limits. The Commission continues to recognize that used children’s books that are sold as collectors items to adults would not be considered to be “children’s products” as defined by the CPSIA because as collector’s items for adults such books would not be “designed or intended primarily for children 12 years of age or younger.”

Any public or school library that has a significant number of children's titles published (NOT reprinted) prior to 1985 must have one of the lowest collection turnover rates in history. Purchasing replacement copies is a standard operating collection development practice in children's services.