CIC Background and Activities

Pueblo, Colorado 81009 is one of the best known addresses in the country. Home to the Consumer Information Center, Pueblo is a one-stop shopping center for federal consumer publications.

Established in 1970 as a separately funded operation within the U.S. General Services Administration, the Consumer Information Center (CIC) helps federal agencies and departments develop and distribute useful information to the public.

Responding to CIC promotions, Americans write to Pueblo for millions of publications every year, requesting copies by mail, telephone, fax, and over the Internet.

Learn more about the city of Pueblo, Colorado.

Consumer Information Catalog

The Consumer Information Catalog is the heart of the CIC program, listing titles, descriptions, and ordering information for the more than 200 free and low-cost publications distributed from Pueblo.

Revised and published quarterly, the Catalog brings together publications from more than 40 agencies, providing the public with one convenient source for federal consumer information. Consumers can get a free Catalog by requesting one online.

Or, call toll-free 1 (888) 8 PUEBLO (That's 1 (888) 878-3256).

It's also available through schools, libraries, consumer groups, federal offices with large numbers of visitors, and congressional offices.

Belong to a group, organization or business that's able to distribute 20 or more Catalogs a quarter? Sign up for our mail list.

The Consumer's Resource Handbook

The Handbook, one of the most popular books published by the federal government, is an easy-to-read guide offering pre-purchase information and ways to resolve marketplace problems.

Check out the latest edition for plenty of consumer tips and advice. There are also thousands of names, addresses, telephone numbers and electronic addresses of corporations, trade groups, state and local consumer protection offices and federal agencies.

Getting the Word Out Electronically

The current Catalog and publications, along with a library of consumer news and features, can all be found right here on this site. Don't miss the multimedia files, including CIC's television, radio, and print advertisements.

Promoting Through the Media

To promote the Catalog and its publications, CIC works daily with newspapers, magazines, television and radio stations, and other media outlets.

Through public service advertising, press releases, and radio scripts, CIC spreads the word to consumers across the country, helping them find the information they need.

Want to know more about the media program? See the CIC fact sheet Services to the Media.

Developing Publications

Before publishing each quarterly Catalog, CIC reviews the booklets listed for timeliness and relevance.

When new issues arise, or old information needs to be updated, CIC helps the appropriate federal agency revise current publications or develop new ones to offer the public.

See the CIC fact sheet Services for Participating Agencies for more details.

Pairing Industry and Government

Although the majority of booklets listed in the Consumer Information Catalog are developed solely by federal agencies, the Catalog also includes consumer information produced jointly by government and private industry.

CIC pairs corporate and federal partners, overseeing publication development to make sure it meets CIC's requirements for cooperative projects. When industry and government work together, costs are lower, the public perception is positive, and a broader variety of information reaches consumers.

See the CIC fact sheet Cooperative Publishing for more details.

This service is provided by the Consumer Information Center of the U.S. General Services Administration . If you have a comment or question, e-mail us at catalog.pueblo@gsa.gov