FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Sandy Neerman – 373-2699

Summer Reading Toy Recall

GREENSBORO, NC (August 9, 2006) – Bendable Cats & Dogs May Be Harmful

Several area daycare centers received bendable toys as prizes in the Greensboro Public Library Summer Reading Program Paws, Claws, Scales and Tales. Further testing is being conducted, but there is a possibility that these toys may contain unsafe amounts of lead.

The following daycare centers received these toys: Allred & Allred, 619 Joseph Terrace; Hester’s Waugh, 634 Waugh Street; Friendly Avenue Baptist Church, 4800 Friendly Ave.; Busy Day Nursery, 2213 Coliseum Blvd.; United True, 901 Broad Ave.; NC A&T Child Development Lab, 1601 East Market Street; Mt. Pleasant Day Care, 5120 Burlington Rd. If your child received one of these toys, please return it to the daycare center or the Greensboro Public Library.

“We received notification from the State Library of North Carolina about this issue, and are taking immediate action to contact all parents,” says Library Director Sandy Neerman. “We have done a count and determined that 242 of these toys were distributed to seven daycare centers by our Reading Railroad bookmobile. At this point we would like to apologize to parents and caregivers for the inconvenience of this situation.”

Paws Claws, Scales and Tales is a national summer reading program and approximately 28 libraries in North Carolina purchased the bendable cats and dogs. They were among many types of toys used as prizes for children who reach their reading goals. In Greensboro, the bendable cats and dogs were only distributed by the Library’s bookmobile. None of the Library’s branch locations distributed these toys.

If you have any questions or concerns please contact Library Director Sandy Neerman at 373-2699.

Additional information about the Library can be found at www.greensborolibrary.org.