Visitors to the Eagle Commons Library in Sycamore Hall are encouraged to stop by our service desk and pick up a free copy of the new summer 2015 edition of the Consumer Information Catalog. Published since the 1970s by the FCIC (formerly the Federal Consumer Information Center, now the Federal Citizen Information Center), the Consumer Information Catalog lists around 200 publications available from numerous federal government agencies for little or no cost. These publications contain a plethora of practical information on a wide range of topics, including money, health, employment, housing, federal programs, education, and travel.

Those of a certain age may remember the popular television commercials run in the 70s and 80s, urging viewers to write to Pueblo, Colorado (ZIP Code 81009) for this free catalog. Technology has changed since then, and the FCIC’s mission has broadened considerably. Today they help people interact with the federal government through toll-free telephone numbers, print publications, Web sites, and other electronic media such as their USA.gov Twitter and Facebook accounts. You can download free government publications in PDF format directly off the Publications.USA.gov Web site.

The Consumer Information Catalog is revised and issued three times a year. Copies are made available through schools, libraries, consumer groups, and federal offices with large numbers of visitors. You can also get the catalog from your congressperson’s office or just by requesting it directly from the FCIC. Orders for publications in the catalog are still received and filled by the Government Printing Office (GPO) facility in Pueblo, Colorado, which has shipped over a billion consumer publications since they first opened in 1971.

Have you ever ordered anything from this famous and venerable catalog? We believe you’ll agree: “If it’s for free, it’s for me!”