Cloud Computing in Libraries

Blogger: Erika Stuart

“The Cloud” you hear it all the time, but do you really understand what it is? Many people think that by storing the pictures in the cloud that they are just floating out there waiting to be re-downloaded and while that may be partially true, cloud computing is not really like a cloud at all. Its not floating out in space just waiting. Cloud computers are a network of different servers that back-up all the information sent to them and can be accessed through the internet to store and manage data. They are physical places with machines where the data is downloaded and stored, similar to your home computer. One difference is that these places have a ton more memory space and can be accessed by other devices over the internet. There are two main types of clouds, public clouds where anyone can access with the right information, and private clouds, giving access to a selected group with no access from outside. There is also something called a hybrid cloud that incorporates both of these previous clouds.

The article by Bansode & Pujar called “Cloud Computing and Libraries” states that the biggest example of cloud computing being used is Gmail. It says “Google Apps being free for educational institutions is widely used for running different applications, especially the email services, which was earlier run using their own computer servers. This has saved cost for the organizations as they pay per use for applications and services and time for the computer staff, which they can invest on running other services and need not worry about upgrading, backup, compatibility, and maintenance of servers, which is taken care of by Google.”  

Library Staff is not always trained or equipped to maintain servers, by having cloud computing, they don’t have to spend money to train someone or for someone else to come in and maintain them. Like any new technology security is always a risk. Some libraries split their programs between the cloud and personal servers; storing patron info on their own server while everything else is stored in the cloud. By using cloud computing in libraries staff can effectively save time and money, increasing their budget for books and other services. With library budget cuts this seems like a great way to go.

References

Bansode, S.y., and S.m. Pujar. “Cloud Computing and Libraries.” Journal of Library & Information Technology, DESIDOC , 1 Nov. 2012, 

Rittinghouse, John W, and James F. Ransome. Cloud Computing: Implementation, Management, and Security. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, 2010. Internet resource.