Cloud Computing - Deb Tison

I just had a great time watching Youtube videos to figure out what the Cloud is and why it is important for libraries.  The most basic video I found describing it in a way I can understand is the one I've linked here.

https://youtu.be/TTNgV0O_oTgs

Now to the why  it is beneficial for libraries.  Cloud based software and storage seem like a good fit for libraries,  since it provides a" number of benefits to users and organizations including improvements in technology, accessibility, reliability and efficiency."(Tritt &Kendrick)
Most library users will use the SaaS Cloud computing - Software as a Service - think google docs, Evernote and Dropbox.  These are services which would be out of  budget range for most libraries if they had to purchase the servers, the software and the IT personnel to keep it all running.
Cloud services allow libraries to enjoy the connection benefits without the space, staff or stress.


 "The transition to cloud computing in libraries, however, has the potential to disrupt longstanding ethical norms within librarianship dedicated to protecting patron privacy." (Zimmer)

Zimmer is proposing a study of NYC libraries and the use of Bibliocommons to discover if the commitment to protecting patrons' privacy is being compromised with the use of a cloud based reference resource.

Stay tuned for further develpments.


Published in The Southeastern Librarian, ed. Perry Bratcher, Volume 62, Issue 3, Fall 2014, pages 2-11. Tritt, D., & Kendrick, K.D. (2014). Impact of cloud computing on librarians at small and rural academic libraries. The Southeastern Librarian, 62(3), 2-11. © The Southeastern Librarian, 2014, Southeastern Library Association http://selaonline.org/publications/index.htm

Privacy and Cloud Computing in Public Libraries: The Case of BiblioCommons Michael Zimmer, University of Wisconsin – Milwaukeehttps://www.ideals.illinois.edu/bitstream/handle/2142/73690/342_ready.pdf?sequence=2