Announcements
Send items of interest to the Children's Literature Association office for posting. Kathy Kiessling

—The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 could result in the removal of children's library books printed before 1986. At the annual business meeting on 13 June 2009, the ChLA voted to create a volunteer committee to research and write a public statement to join with the American Library Association in supporting the exemption of ordinary children's books from the act. On August 19, in its "Final Rule on Children's Products Containing Lead; Determinations Regarding Lead Content Limits on Certain Materials or Products," the Consumer Product Safety Commission ruled that it is “unable to make a determination that the components of all older children's books fall under the lead content limits.” Hence, “the Commission intends to issue a separate Statement of Policy addressing the treatment of older children's books.” What we as ChLA members can do now is try to influence this policy. On December 16, 2009, the following statement was sent to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission on behalf of ChLA:

CPSIA Statement (pdf)

To assist in the the support of this effort, you can contact your congressional representative, contact the new Chair of the CPSC, Inez Tenenbaum, telephone (301) 504-7896, fax (301) 504-0768, or go to http://www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/commissionertenenbaum.aspx

— Digitization of ChLA Journals

ChLA is delighted to announce that all issues of Children's Literature and Children's Literature Association Quarterly are now available through The Johns Hopkins University Press online collection, Project Muse. See http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/

— Change in ChLA Quarterly Editorial Team

The Executive Board has appointed Kate Capshaw Smith (University of Connecticut) to succeed Richard Flynn as editor of the Children's Literature Association Quarterly later this year. Joining Kate as associate editors are Kenneth Kidd (University of Florida), Anne Phillips (Kansas State University), and Lynne Vallone (Rutgers University, Camden).