In mid-April, a French court ordered shipping giant Amazon to restrict its sales and deliveries to “essential items.” The order stated that Amazon could only fulfill orders for food, hygiene, and medical items. The court further gave Amazon 24 hours to cease delivery of nonessential items or face steep fines, as much as one million euros per day per infraction. The order was the result of an action filed by a trade union, alleging that Amazon had violated the Labor Code by failing to protect the health and safety of its employees by allowing them to work in crowded, enclosed spaces. As a result of the court order, Amazon shut down its facilities for five days to clean and assess the working environment. Amazon also appealed the order, citing ambiguity in the definition of what constitutes essential as one of the bases of the appeal.
On April 24, the Court of Appeals of Versailles affirmed the lower tribunal’s order. The appellate court also defined specific categories of essential items: hi-tech and information technology; office supplies; pet supplies; health, nutrition, and personal care product; groceries; drinks; and maintenance.
While we applaud the French courts for focusing on the health and safety of workers, we at the Harris County Law Library can’t help but wonder why books were not included among those items deemed essential. Yes, we know that books are not “absolutely necessary,” but they are still extremely important, not in an earth-shattering way, but critical nonetheless. Crucial, too, to a segment of the population that has been overlooked by the digital divide and who have no access to digital versions of print materials. Before the pandemic, print books outsold eBooks. Even in Paris, it seemed as if more commuters were reading print books while commuting on the Paris Metro. Of course, life is much different now. Social distancing and disinfecting have become the norm. Still, we can’t help but feel that books should be considered essential, especially now when physical libraries are closed to the public. Moreover, the French ruling overlooks the obvious health and mental benefits that come from reading books. Reading sharpens the brain and prevents cognitive decline, reduces stress, helps sleep, eases depression, educates and boosts vocabulary, and can even help people live longer. These benefits are extremely important, especially now, when so many people are isolated from their loved ones and friends.
We urge you today (and everyday) to pick up a book, whether a print one or an eBook, and reap the benefits that come from reading the written word. Then, you, too, can see how essential books are.
