Cloud Computing in Libraries

 

Cloud Computing in Libraries

by Michelle Amundson

Cloud computing refers to computer services that are not located locally, but are instead offered over the Internet, or the “Cloud”. Some of the services that can be provided are storage, software, servers, and networking services. Libraries are beginning to use this service, but as with anything, there are pros and cons to cloud computing for libraries.

One of the positives brought about by cloud computing is the flexibility in services, as well as lower cost as it is more cost effective than having these sorts of services locally. A negative can be issues of privacy. As with anything hosted online, information can be vulnerable to hackers and data leaks, but there are options that address these points.Third party services are available at a lower cost but there are more at risk for issues of privacy, private cloud servers can be the solution for this, but of course, at a higher cost. Somewhere in between is a hybrid cloud model, which can make a more affordable option. More sensitive or frequently used data can be stored on private infrastructure, while less sensitive data can be stored in the public cloud (Sosa-Sosa).

Another benefit to libraries using cloud computing services is that it is also a greener approach. Cloud computing uses less resources than hosting these services in a local server, as the services can be delivered more efficiently when using them through the cloud (Breeding). This is especially relevant to bigger libraries that have bigger databases, that would take a lot of servers, and therefore a lot more energy than just a smaller local library branch. 

We can see that cloud computing can be a great boon to libraries, especially bigger ones to help with budget by only paying for services needed, and also being better for the environment overall. These pros just need to be considered with issues of privacy.

Works Cited

Breeding, Marshall. “The Advance of Computing from the Ground to the Cloud.” Computers in Libraries, vol. 29, no. 10, Jan. 2009, pp. 22–25. EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.ezproxy.palomar.edu/https://www.infotoday.com/cilmag/nov09/index.shtml.

Sosa-Sosa, Victor Jesús, and Emigdio M. Hernandez-Ramirez. “A File Storage Service on a Cloud Computing Environment for Digital Libraries.” Information Technology & Libraries, vol. 31, no. 4, Dec. 2012, pp. 34–45. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=rzh&AN=104197007&site=ehost-live&scope=site.