Customer service is a core component of user experience and an important element in making patrons feel welcomed and valued within our libraries. At the University of Maryland Libraries, we took on the challenging task of creating a customer service training curriculum for all staff working at public service points and offering a digital badge for…

Maryland's third unobtrusive reference/information survey, which was conducted by an independent consulting firm, found that good reference service is a result of variables within each librarian's control. Training programs that were developed after previous surveys appear to have increased librarians' effectiveness. Findings of the survey are…

A report is given of a study conducted on the nature and extent of support that local school systems in Maryland currently provide to new teachers. The study had two components: a statewide survey and case studies of promising programs. The survey polled Associate or Assistant Superintendents of Instruction in 23 of Maryland's 24 county school…

Much has been written in recent years about advances in assessment technologies designed to aid decision making in the juvenile justice system. Adoption and implementation of this latest generation of actuarial tools, however, have lagged behind their development. Assessment in juvenile justice exemplifies the "science-practice gap" that…

A survey of 49 Maryland service providers offering vocational services found the weekly earnings of persons placed in supported employment were 3.5 times the earning of persons employed on the premises of the service provider. Nevertheless, there was strong evidence that substantial improvements are needed, and possible, in supported employment.…

The Maryland Task Force on the Use of Computers in Instruction conducted a statewide survey of the following components of a successful computer education program: planning; curriculum development; staff development; computer use; instructional equity; selection, maintenance, and evaluation of hardware and courseware; and parent and community…

A collaborative study was conducted by representatives of the Prince George's Chamber of Commerce, the University of Maryland University College, and Prince George's Community College to identify the training and professional development activities most desired by county business leaders. Surveys were mailed to 5,000 of the 15,125 businesses…

A study was conducted of counseling services in Adult Basic Education (ABE) programs in Maryland (1) to gather information on the current status of counseling services provided to ABE students in the state; (2) to assess the need for future counseling services for these students; and (3) to design a model for a three-year counseling implementation…

Eight public educational institutions serving three counties of Appalachian Maryland (Allegany, Garrett, Washington) have joined together to plan and develop public education on a regional basis in order to: (1) raise the overall quality of education; (2) broaden curricula to meet regional economic needs, especially at post-secondary level; (3)…

A collaborative approach to solving school problems in Maryland emphasizes planned change through organization development processes. Organization development, a process of planned improvement in overall functioning, strives for sustained capacity in problem-solving by communication, goal-setting, conflict resolution, and commitment. The…