For
years, consumers have written to Pueblo, Colorado 81009 for timely, practical
information they trust. Now they can get this great information in the
format that best suits their needs—in print, over the phone or on
the web. The Federal Citizen Information Center provides the answers to
questions about the Federal Government and everyday consumer issues whether
citizens write, call or log on.
What can the Federal
Consumer Information Center do for you?
Since 1970,
the Federal Citizen Information Center (FCIC) has been a trusted one-stop
source for answers to questions about consumer problems and government
services. Consumers can get the information they need through printed
publications, by calling toll-free 1
(800) FED-INFO, and through information posted on FCIC’s
family of websites including: www.firstgov.gov,
www.pueblo.gsa.gov,
www.kids.gov, and www.consumeraction.gov.
FCIC can provide
a wide range of information services to Federal agencies, including:
listing your
publications in the Consumer
Information Catalog;
describing
your agency programs in the Consumer
Action Handbook;
identifying
government/industry cooperative
publishing opportunities;
posting your
information on the FCIC web site in multiple formats;
toll-free
call center services, including order fulfillment;
print, broadcast
and electronic media promotion;
publication
order fulfillment services; and
specialized
mailing services and warehousing for your publications.
FCIC does not
charge your agency for Catalog or Handbook listings, for
publication development services, or for online or media promotion activities.
FCIC passes the costs of warehousing and publication fulfillment and specialized
call center services through to each agency according to the level and
kind of service provided.
Catalog and Handbook
Listings
FCIC revises and
publishes the free Consumer Information Catalog four times a year
and distributes more than 10 million copies annually, filling requests
received from around the country. Each issue has descriptive listings
of approximately 200 Federal publications covering everything from health
to housing, from buying Federal surplus property to building careers,
from credit to cars. The Catalog is made available through schools,
libraries, consumer groups, Federal offices with large numbers of visitors,
congressional offices and in response to individual requests.
FCIC also publishes
the Lista de publicaciones
Federales en espaρol para el consumidor that lists nearly 200
free Federal publications available in Spanish. The Lista provides
the Federal office addresses where requests for these publications can
be sent.
Your agency will
also be featured in the Consumer
Action Handbook, one of the most popular Federal publications
ever published, with more than 9 million copies requested since 1979.
Congressional offices, state and local government agencies, and libraries
nationwide use the Handbook as one of their most trusted and frequently
used consumer resources. The online version of the Handbook is
available at ConsumerAction.gov.
Cooperative Publishing
Although
the majority of the publications handled through FCIC are developed by
Federal agencies alone, FCIC also handles publications that are developed
cooperatively by several Federal agencies or by government working with
private industry. FCIC is authorized to accept money from the private
sector to assist with the costs of these publications.
The benefits of
cooperative publishing include:
pooling available
resources (staff time, expertise, and budget);
providing
improved information from a greater number of sources; and
expanding
the reach and availability of your information.
FCIC actively
seeks opportunities for government/industry collaboration and helps agencies
identify appropriate and interested corporate partners.
Web Sites
Pueblo.gsa.gov
FCIC will add your agency information and publications to our award-winning
web site, www.pueblo.gsa.gov.
Consumers can read, print out, or save the full text of all the publications
listed in the Consumer Information Catalog in multiple formats.
Users can also find great information on a wide range of topics. Hundreds
of publications are archived on the site and kept up-to-date and available
for the public to access--whether or not printed copies are still available.
Additional web features include the latest product recalls and scams,
updates of consumer news items from Federal agencies, and a calendar of
consumer-related events.
FirstGov.gov
FirstGov.gov
is the “Front Door” to government information, services, and
transactions. This site pulls together more than 26 million federal web
pages in addition to 16 million state and local government pages. Here,
citizens can get easy-to-understand information and services from the
government 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Kids.gov
Kids.gov is the official
interagency children’s portal to the U.S. government. The site features
more than 400 kid-friendly links in one easy-to-find place.
1 (800) FED INFO
FCIC manages a toll-free national
contact center with specially trained staff to answer questions
in English and Spanish about all aspects of the Federal government. The
public can get help by calling toll-free 1 (800) FED-INFO (1-800-333-4636)
between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Eastern Time.
FCIC can also provide customized
call center services for your agency’s special projects. Charges
for these projects depend upon the level of service required. Set-up time
is minimal and short-term projects can be handled quickly and efficiently.
Media
Promotion
FCIC has an ongoing
nationwide media program to promote Federal consumer information through
television
and radio
public service announcements and through the print media. Agency publications
are regularly featured in FCIC "New
for Consumers" press releases. FCIC credits and clears
each release with the appropriate Federal agency. These releases are distributed
in print and electronically to all congressional offices and to more than
10,000 newspapers and magazines, consumer organizations and state and
local government agencies nationwide. Your agency liaison officer will
provide you with clips from newspapers and magazines in which "New
for Consumers" releases written about your publications have appeared.
Finally, FCIC
works with magazines such as Family Circle and Parade to
develop special promotions for individual publications. FCIC consults
with agencies when planning special promotions and obtains agency approval
before authorizing high volume or high visibility media placements.
Distribution and
Warehousing Services
The Government
Printing Office facility in Pueblo, Colorado provides a wide range of
order fulfillment, warehousing and distribution services from specialized,
targeted mailings to large-scale, ongoing receipt and filling of orders
from the public. The facility can also meet your warehouse needs for high
volume publication storage and management. In
response to Catalog orders or media mentions, the Pueblo facility
fills requests promptly and accurately. FCIC can provide you with distribution
statistics for your publications and estimates for annual distribution.
FCIC will work with you during the early stages of the publication development
process to customize a low-cost distribution package that covers both
individual and bulk order fulfillment. The cost of distributing booklets
through FCIC depends on which of the three pricing systems listed below
your agency chooses.
a. Free booklets.
The sponsoring agency prints booklets, provides copies to Pueblo and pays
for distribution costs. These books are free to the public. Your agency
liaison officer will go over the billing procedure and give you the most
up-to-date estimate of distribution costs. b.
Low-priced publications (LPP). Publications in this program must
weigh less than three ounces. The sponsoring agency prints and provides
copies to Pueblo and the customer pays a small fee to cover postage and
handling costs.
c. Sales booklets.
The sponsoring agency turns the booklet over to the Superintendent of
Documents of the U.S. Government Printing Office for printing and inclusion
in the GPO sales program. GPO sets the sales price that consumers will
pay to cover printing, postage and handling costs.
In Summary
FCIC is a
central source of Federal and consumer information for the general public.
Citizens can write, call or log onto to get the most up-to-date information
answering their questions about the Federal government and consumer issues.
FirstGov.gov and 1 (800) FED INFO act
as single points of information about the Federal government, on the web
or over the phone. And its Pueblo address is known throughout the country.
Together, these mean cost-effective distribution, along with more recognition
for your information as a result of the Consumer Information Catalog
listings, listings on the FCIC web sites and increased public awareness
of your agency programs.
For more information
contact Mary Levy, Director, Federal Agency Services, at (202) 501-1794
(mary.levy@gsa.gov).
Updated May 2003
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