When Consumer Reports began publishing in 1936, the average price of a new car was roughly $630 — less than it costs to purchase a set of high-end tires today. Prices may have changed a bit in the last 90 years, but what hasn’t changed is the buying public’s need for unbiased product information. Thankfully, free access to this invaluable resource is available online and in hard copy at each of Johnson County Library’s 14 branches.
Busy moms like Kate Downey of Gardner and Monica van der Zee of Lenexa particularly appreciate the online access. Downey is the mother of three kids ages 7 and younger while van der Zee has five children ranging in age from 14 to 22.
Downey remembers learning about access to Consumer Reports through an e-newsletter from the Library, and van der Zee recalls finding out about it from friends who work at the Library — most likely after asking for advice on Facebook when looking to make a big purchase. Consumer Reports has helped Downey choose dependable brands when purchasing appliances at outlet stores.
“I've found that a lot of other ‘best product’ sites seem to be either mass-produced or AI-produced content,” she said in an email. “It's very difficult to sort through them and find reliable information from a source that has actually tested the products. Consumer Reports has specific protocols for testing their appliances so you know how they actually work.”
Downey has told friends about getting free access to Consumer Reports with a Library card, all of whom appreciated the information
“I've found that other people are pleasantly surprised when they find out that the Library has resources like Consumer Reports available,” she wrote. “I don't think very many people are aware of the wide variety of services the Library offers.”
For van der Zee, Consumer Reports has been helpful in assisting her son in replacing a car damaged in a recent wreck. This real-time resource provided by the Library also helped when the family recently needed a new washing machine.
“I went to Nebraska Furniture Mart, and I was looking at all their scratched and dented ones and I had Consumer Reports pulled up on my cell phone to see if the ones with minor cosmetic damage were still good models, and I ended up buying one,” van der Zee said.
Despite its convenience and vast array of information, her family does not use Consumer Reports enough to pay for an annual subscription, she said.
Van der Zee adds that it never seems to fail that when she does look at Consumer Reports, she finds herself clicking through to other online resources she forgot the Library provided, and is reminded that the research area of the Library website is also useful in helping her kids with school.
“If any of them have homework assignments or anything where they have to do research, I always point them towards the Library website to look stuff up,” she said.
It’s easy to access Consumer Reports from home if you have an internet connection. Simply go to the Library’s website, click “Research” in the top navigation bar, then click “Consumer Information” from the drop-down menu. The first entry in the right-hand column is Consumer Reports, and you’ll see a blue box to the right that says “Access Now.” Once you’ve entered your Library card number and password as prompted, you’ll have full access.
Help is always a phone call or an email away if you run into any issues; or you can always stop by your favorite branch and a Librarian will be glad to help.