CENTER OF EXCELLENCE AWARD FOR SERVICE 2002-03 GOES TO THE LIPPINCOTT LIBRARY, THE WHARTON SCHOOL, UNIVERSITY OF PENNSLYVANIA

The Lippincott Library of the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania was awarded the Center of Excellence Award for Service at the annual Special Libraries Association Conference in Los Angeles.

    ----------- ----------------------------------------------------------

Special Libraries Association (SLA)

CENTER OF EXCELLENCE AWARD FOR SERVICE 2002-03 PRESENTED TO THE LIPPINCOTT LIBRARY, THE WHARTON SCHOOL, UNIVERSITY OF PENNSLYVANIA

For Release: Sept 1. 2002
Contact: Terese M. Terry
Lippincott Library of the Wharton School.
Tel: 215-898-5929
terryt@wharton.upenn.edu

The Business & Finance Division of the Special Libraries Association (SLA) announces the winners of its first annual "Center of Excellence" Awards. The awards, presented at the annual conference of SLA, serve to recognize quality as a priority for the successful management and
delivery of information. The awards take their inspiration from the Malcolm Baldrige National
Quality Awards, which are given annually to US organizations to recognize and promote quality as a critical part of innovation and competitiveness. The "Center of Excellence" Awards, like the Baldrige Award, recognizes customer driven quality and leadership within the framework of an organization dedicated to the gathering, analysis and dissemination of information within the business community.

The awards serve to recognize the best of "best practices" in two categories: Service and Technology. The Center of Excellence Award for technology was presented to the Business
Research Group, Center for Business Knowledge, Ernst & Young LLP, North America.
The two award winners represent excellence and quality at its highest level.

The Lippincott Library serves The Wharton School . The judges felt that Lippincott excels in innovative service to its clients. Its client base is comprised of 4860 faculty and students. The student body consists of MBA candidates, undergraduates and phi candidates. Through its Website, the Penn community can access business-related e-journals, business Websites, databases and research guides. Lippincott provides a live chat service as part of its online reference service in addition to providing information and assistance via email, telephone and in-person visits. The library has created a business database wizard" that links specific questions directly to library subscribed databases.

It has a knowledge management database of shared search strategies, tips and reference "finds" to help accelerate responses to queries. Each librarian supports a web café. The "Electronic Business Library" introduces new students to Lippincott resources and services in about 30 lectures as part of new MBA orientation.

Wharton faculty members get personal library pages with the journals and reports of their choice, an innovation that will soon be available to all Penn students.

    ---------------------------------------------------------------------