Just because the Freedom of Information Act requires the transfer of government documents doesn't mean it is neccessarily easy to actually attain the information. There is a definitive process that must be followed, and it can certainly be confusing for the average citizen. I happened to run across the Department of Justice's FOIA site. It includes documents available without having to make a FOIA request, the FOIA request process (including appeals), a list of FOIA contacts in each federal agency, links to those agencies' FOIA web sites, and a reading room that includes relevant federal regulations, information about FOIA cases, and FOIA Post, a newsletter for federal agencies offering guidance on how to apply the law to their organization.

Making a FOIA request is always going to be confusing, but this is an excellent starting point (especially the links to agency websites, contacts, and reference sources). As much as we may worry about the infringement of our civil liberties, this (Federally mandated) site is tool in ensuring the transparency of government.