What is cloud computing, and what does it mean for libraries? Let’s start by defining cloud computing. Cloud computing is the method of setting up a computer system that, rather than running locally, runs over the Internet. For an example, we will look at the difference between Microsoft Word and Google Docs. Both are word processors, allowing their users to write, edit, and save documents. However, Microsoft Word operates on your personal computer, and the documents are saved only to your personal computer. If you need to access a document on your home computer while you are at work, you are out of luck. However, Google Docs operates “in the cloud”, or over the Internet. When you create and save a Google Doc, it does not save to your computer, but rather to a server somewhere in a Google building. When you access it, you are using the Internet to connect to that server. This means you can access it from any computer where you are logged into your Google account, so long as you ha...
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