Children's Publishers Anxiously Awaiting Decision On CPSIA's Potential Impact

In an era where PW Daily and Publisher’s Lunch have become bearers of bad news, be it layoffs or independent bookstore closures, it really feels like the publishing industry deserves a break from the continuous hits. Yet PW Daily recently reported the February 10 enactment of the Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act, which requires that all products marketed and sold to children ages 12 and under be tested for lead. With an unprecedented number of toy recalls for lead levels between 2007 and 2008, it is no surprise that Congress decided it was pertinent to pass legislation to regulate every potentially dangerous item.

Now, with the enactment date a mere 23 days away, publishers are facing the possible reality that warehouses of inventory will be rendered useless as of February 10, 2009, thanks to the Act’s retroactive nature. For an industry already on unsteady footing in an economy that continues to spiral downward, the CPSIA could prove to be the next in a series of detrimental blows.

In an ideal world, the book industry’s extensive lobbying efforts will lead to certain exemptions from the February 10 deadline that could limit the number of books sent to the dumpster, but what if the ideal situation doesn’t occur?

While many publishing houses that have books on the shelves of stores like Target have already undergone testing procedures that surpass the requirements set forth in the CPSIA, what happens to smaller presses, such as Ooligan? What about other presses like us who have limited resources to devote to testing?

Books are not known for containing high levels of lead so the hope is that traditional, print-on-paper books will be exempt from the Act come February 10. However, even if publishing companies are granted an extension or exemption from the new law, lead levels and books is now a topic of discussion at the forefront of the industry.

How should this new question be handled? Is there enough of a threat that there should be standards for testing? Should it be left up to individual presses based on their resources and potential for young readers? Or is it an issue that got out of hand with the requirements set forth in the CPSIA? I guess we’ll see in the next 23 days.