Renee L. Wilson Gaines Points of Light Foundation
RWilson@PointsofLight.org

Online Library Provides One-Stop Shop for Information on Volunteering
Find Out What's Inside at National Conference on Volunteering and Service

WASHINGTON, DC (August 6, 2005) – The James J. Hill Reference Library and Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center National Network have joined forces to create VolunteerResource.org – a comprehensive online library of information on volunteering. VolunteerResource.org launched to the public during the 2005 National Conference on Volunteering and Service in Washington, DC.

The site features an online library of research, case studies, best practices, and white papers from some of the world's most respected nonprofit organizations. Content partners include Business Strengthening America, the UPS Foundation, UN Volunteers the Hill Library, and other organizations. The VolunteerResource.org content management system, developed and maintained by the Hill Library, allows multiple organizations to manage their own content collection in a central, fully customizable online library. New content is added on a daily basis. While the library houses some theoretical and academic documents, its core knowledge focuses on practical knowledge such as tips for recruiting volunteers, how-to documents for holding successful community service events, and information on creating corporate volunteer programs.

“Our objective is to offer the most extensive and practical volunteer resource center in the world,” said Sam Richter, president of the J.J. Hill Reference Library. “Right now if you do an Internet search on volunteering, you'll come up with tons of information. But, who knows if it is any good. That's why we teamed up with the Points of Light Foundation. Every piece of information on VolunteerResource.org has been vetted by Foundation staff, the recognized experts in volunteering.”

VolunteerResource.org features an online bookstore, a marketplace, and a free library, where users can find everything from best-selling books related to volunteering and nonprofit management to items designed to motivate staff and volunteers. Proceeds go towards supporting Foundation programs ensuring VolunteerResource.org remains free to users and free of advertising.

Discussions between the Foundation and the J.J. Hill Library about the project began in November 2003. Since then, both organizations have committed significant resources to developing the technology and reviewing, analyzing, and gaining the appropriate permissions to populate the database with documents that appeal to volunteer managers, businesses, government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and volunteers themselves.

“The Points of Light Foundation is committed to providing the resources and tools that organizations and individuals need to improve the quality of their communities through volunteering,” said Robert Goodwin, president and chief executive officer of the Foundation. “VolunteerResource.org means that individual organizations will no longer have to develop and maintain their own costly libraries of volunteering knowledge.”

In addition to their own information, both the Foundation and the Library hope that other nonprofit organizations will contribute content to VolunteerResource.org. The team devised the system to allow others to provide documents while maintaining control of their knowledge. A simple user interface allows organizations and individuals to add, edit, revise, or delete content at anytime.

The formal launch of VolunteerResource.org to the public occurs during the 2005 National Conference on Volunteering and Service. Co-sponsored by the Foundation and Corporation on National and Community Service, this annual event brings together leaders on volunteering from around the nation. This year's conference takes place August 4-6 at the Washington Convention Center, in Washington, DC.

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About J.J. Hill Reference Library
The James J. Hill Reference Library (www.jjhill.org) provides access to and assistance in finding the practical business information clients need to succeed. The 80-year old institution houses one of the nation's most extensive collections of business reference information and boast some of the nation's top business information specialists. The Hill Library provides its services for free to those visiting the Library, and online via its individual membership program at www.HillSearch.org. The Library also offers HillResearch (www.hillresearch.org), a fee-based professional research service, and numerous other business information offerings found at www.jjhill.org/research.