Cloud Computing in Libraries

Cloud computing is a way of accessing content without having large amounts of hardware on site.  It was originally used by consumers in the form of social media and e-mail sites that were hosted "in the cloud", where information and data was available at the click of a button.  The world "cloud" stands for shared service infrastructure.

In the last few years cloud computing has gone from social media to big business with many organizations and industries utilizing this off-site solution.  Why is it so popular?  You don't have to constantly update software and if your computer system dies, the information isn't lost, it remains in the cloud.

So why is this important to libraries?  There are many factors, but the big ones are ease of use, better collaboration and sharing with other libraries, and less maintenance of hardware and software.  Many systems that have been in libraries for years already use cloud-based technology.  Online databases and journals are cloud-based, as well as many of the open-source ILS systems that are becoming more and more popular.

The following YouTube video gives a very in-depth explanation of cloud computing, its history and its uses in a library setting.

Using cloud computing is basically outsourcing services in the library, using a system and server that is not in the building and is located far away. Winds of Change: Libraries and Cloud Computing, an academic article on the subject gives a great overview of the subject in relation to libraries.

The great part is that there are many uses for the cloud services in a library including ILS, databases, preservation, storage, ILL, OCLC, technical services, etc.  The harder part is making sure that the cloud system is  secure and safe and that patron information is not being stolen or hacked.  However, these are problems that go with any electronic resource, not just cloud-based systems.