Cloud Computing in Libraries

While Han Yan’s article “On the Clouds: A New Way of Computing” is at times very technical, he provides lots of valuable information for the layperson. He describes current cloud computing services, presents his design experience, and discusses advantages and disadvantages of using the cloud. Yan states, “cloud computing fundamentally changes the ways institutions and companies manage their computing needs. Libraries can take advantage of cloud computing to start an IT project with low cost, to manage computing resources cost-effectively, and to explore new computing possibilities”. He defines cloud computing as meaning: 1. customers do not own network resources, such as hardware, software, systems, or services 2. network resources are provided through remote data centers on a subscription basis 3. network resources are delivered as services over the Web While he acknowledges concerns regarding security and technical issues, he maintains that “cloud computing brings a fundamental shift in computing. It changes the way organizations acquire, configure, manage, and maintain computing resources to achieve their business goals. The availability of cloud computing providers allows organizations to focus on their business and leave general computing maintenance to the major IT companies”. Click on this link for a related 7 minute video:  You Tube video on libraries and the cloud Works Cited Yan, Han. "On the Clouds: A New Way of Computing." Information Technology & Libraries, vol. 29, no. 2, June 2010, pp. 87-92. EBSCOhost, ezproxy.palomar.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lxh&AN=50741403&site=ehost-live&scope=site.