Search results

The present paper is an attempt to describe in detail the concept of Cloud computing in conjunction with libraries. It describes in detail about Cloud libraries, transition of libraries toward Cloud, its need, features, Cloud library components, types of Cloud libraries, Cloud library infrastructure, key players as well as role of Cloud librarians.

Based on an extensive literature survey, the basic conceptions of Cloud libraries were developed.

Various concepts of Cloud libraries have been proposed in the literature that will be instrumental in understanding the theoretical foundations of Cloud libraries.

Till date no any theoretical foundation exists on the concept of Cloud libraries. The paper is one of the first attempts to give shape to the libraries based on Cloud computing platform.

This paper aims to examine the types of cloud computing, models, characteristics, descriptions, applications, considerations for use and benefits of the following technologies to library users. Cloud computing has taken libraries in Kenya by storm. Because of this, many libraries do not know what to do. They are at cross-roads. They lack policies to govern them. However, the recent realization by information professionals that cloud computing has a critical role to play in the provision of information services has created a desire to effectively harness and manage them for scholarly communication.

The research reviewed previous studies on the topic by examining both electronic and print information resources available in the libraries and internet.

The findings revealed that libraries in Kenya are yet to fully embrace cloud computing in their operations. There are mixed feelings by librarians on the degree at which they should integrate these technologies in their service provisions. However, there is a positive progress toward this noble venture.

Kenya as a developing nation has limited local content on the subject. The study established that some of the available literature is restricted by intellectual property rights. This forced the researcher to rely heavily on foreign literature for the study.

Appreciation of emerging cloud computing technologies by libraries is inevitable for the sustainability and management of modern libraries. Cloud computing makes libraries more competitive by adequately meeting user’s technological needs. This study will also act as a benchmark for the Government of Kenya to improve the current information communication technology (ICT) national policy.

Apart from revolutionalizing library operations and delivery of services, cloud computing will tremendously revolutionize the social-cultural and communication landscape of the society.

The paper provides vital information and insights into how libraries are embracing cloud computing in the provision and dissemination of varied information services to library users.

The study aims to focus on the present automation status of the college libraries with an objective to offer enhanced Web-based library service on an affordable virtualization on cloud computing model.

With Infrastructure as a Service (Infrastructure as a Service) delivery model, this study demonstrates how libraries of colleges/smaller institutes could be connected to cloud Library Management System infrastructure through internet or dedicated point-to-point WAN connectivity. The Software as a Service (SaaS) delivery model depicts how college libraries could form library consortium at its own private cloud environment with installation of the required LMS application, database, middleware and other prerequisites.

A cloud-based consortium approach for the college libraries will reduce the cost of purchasing hardware equipment and setting up of infrastructural facilities; relieve libraries of involving additional IT skilled manpower; foster collaborative approach with shared environment and minimise duplication in resource subscription.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the present study is the first of its kind in the light of shifting of infrastructure, software and hardware requirements of smaller libraries for cooperative sharing in both IaaS and SaaS cloud platform. The study delineates step by step how college libraries could effectively leverage the cooperative cloud architecture for enhanced library services to reach wider user community.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the views of librarians in Iran academic libraries about the extent of their familiarity, application and knowledge of the cloud computing in libraries.

This was a survey research. The statistical population of research consisted of librarians working in five universities in northeastern Iran. The sample (83 librarian) selected by using random sampling method.

The findings showed that in 2019 librarians familiar with cloud computing was low, but their use of cloud computing services was moderate. Also the findings showed that the item of providing enough computers in the library had the lowest effect on promoting the use of cloud computing and the items. Cloud computing training for librarians and users and broadband Internet were best strategies offered by librarians to promote the use of cloud computing.

Cloud computing has received less attention from librarians and researchers. However, based on the results of the present study, the broader use of cloud computing in libraries requires specialized and trained staff. Librarians need to broaden their knowledge in this technology.

This paper aims to draw a roadmap for the presence of Iranian academic libraries in the cloud infrastructure.

This research attends an applied-development one that is a part of developmental research due to its conceptual expansion, foresight and roadmap for the presence of cloud-based academic libraries and finally, becoming cloud libraries. Because of providing a roadmap template, the presence of academic digital libraries in the cloud and becoming a cloud library is applied research. Because of providing a roadmap template, academic digital libraries’ presence in the cloud and becoming a cloud library is one of the applied research areas. The statistical population of this research includes all Iranian digital academic libraries. There were 64 digital libraries out of which 59 libraries participated in completing the questionnaire.

Preliminary results from used Delphi method’s first round which was considered by 59 experts were identified typically and descriptive after appropriate component classification and editing. After identifying these factors, each of the roadmap levels in the third stage and the degree of relevance approved by the experts were reviewed and the most critical and relevant factors were identified as key components of the roadmap for the presence of cloud-based academic libraries and becoming cloud libraries. At this stage, they were selected as 24 factors, including seven factors for the first layer, eight factors for the second layer and nine factors for the third layer.

By introducing a roadmap for the presence of academic digital libraries in the cloud context, they will promote more and better interaction between academic libraries to offer services to users anytime and anywhere.

The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of current uses of cloud computing (CC) services in libraries, address a gap identified in integrating cloud storage in IaaS level, and show how to use EC2 tools for easy backup and resource monitoring.

The article begins a literature review of CC uses in libraries, organized at the SaaS, PaaS and IaaS levels. The author presents his experience of integrating cloud storage services S3 and GCS. In addition, he also shows how to use virtual machine EC2 tools for backup and monitoring resources.

The article describes a case study of integrating cloud storage using S3 and GCS. S3 can be integrated with any program whether the program runs on cloud or locally, while GCS is only good for applications running on GAE. The limitation of the current GCS approach makes it hard to use for a stand‐alone cloud storage. The author also discusses virtual machines using EC2 and its related tools for backup, increase storage, and monitoring service. These services make system administration easier as compared to the traditional approach.

The article presents current CC uses in libraries at the SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS levels. CC services are changing quickly. For example, Google has stated that its APIs are experimental. Readers should be aware of this.

The author shows his experience of integrating cloud storage services. Readers can understand the similarities and differences between S3 and GCS. In addition, readers can learn the advantages and concerns associated with implementing cloud computing. Readers are encouraged to consider questions such as content, skills, costs, and security.

There are many uses of CC services in libraries. However, gaps are identified: in IaaS cloud storage, a few libraries used Amazon S3 and Microsoft Azure, but none explored using Google Cloud Storage (GCS); none provided implementation details, difficulties, and comparisons of S3 and GCS; and a few articles have briefly discussed implementations on Amazon EC2, but have not provided specific details about upgrade and backup. This article addresses those gaps.

This study aims to find out the current state of cloud-based library services in selected academic and special libraries of Bangladesh. The study also explored some pertinent problems faced by librarians in implementing this new technology in library services and activities.

The study used a mixed-method approach with a range of exploratory research questions. Purposive sampling technique was used to select the libraries. A set of structured questionnaires was designed to address the objectives of the study. For in-depth analysis, short interviews with the library professionals were also conducted.

Only four libraries made use of cloud computing services, and they maintained a partial cloud environment. Most responding librarians treated cloud computing as a dynamically scalable infrastructure for applications, data and file storage with charges imposed. Most of the respondents (90%) preferred cloud computing for “Software-as-a-Service”. Due to the high subscription rate (70%), unreliable online payment system (60%) and trading system (60%), librarians treated cloud computing as a burden in providing library services and activities. Respondent librarians were also interviewed for exploring their views on cloud computing in library services. For adopting cloud computing in library services of Bangladesh, “sufficient financial allocation” and “organizations’ positive decision over cloud computing” were mentioned as challenging tasks by the respondents. Finally, the study suggested some solutions to the problem and proposed a model for a cloud-based library system that can be replicated in libraries and information centres of other developing countries too.

This paper encapsulates the overall scenario of cloud-based library activities and services in Bangladesh. Based on the available secondary sources, no empirical study on librarians’ perceptions of cloud computing in library services of Bangladesh has been carried out before this study. Thus, this is perhaps the first attempt to quantitatively measure cloud-based services in Bangladeshi libraries.

The paper aims to examine the constructs laid down by the information technology (IT) adoption theories to the cloud computing phenomena in conjunction with academic libraries of India to determine the factors responsible for the adoption of cloud computing.

Keeping the objectives into consideration, descriptive survey and constructive research method were used in the study. Library professionals engaged in the selected 28 central universities of India were chosen to participate in this study. To find the core drivers responsible for the adoption of cloud computing in academic libraries, constructs were taken from ten IT adoption theories.

The findings validate the fact that perceived ease of use, usefulness and ubiquitous availability of the enabling technology are strong drivers of the adoption of cloud computing technology in the libraries. Also, attitude is significantly correlated with the behavioral intention to adopt cloud computing services. High level of correlation was obtained between the cloud computing-perceived attributes and the librarian’s intention to use cloud computing technology. However, security risk is the biggest issue that has been affecting the behavioral intentions.

The study is a self-conscious attempt to fill the void and determine factors for the adoption of cloud computing in libraries. Further, it attempts to find out the preparedness of Indian academic libraries in adopting cloud computing.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the perceptions of librarians engaged in Indian academic libraries towards cloud computing.

A structured questionnaire was used to collect responses from the library professionals engaged in Indian academic libraries. Overall, 339 respondents participated in the survey. Descriptive survey method was used in the study.

The findings of the study reveal that library professionals are using cloud-computing tools in their daily works. They want to adopt cloud computing in the libraries to improve library services and avoid redundancy of works. Ubiquitous availability, economy and the various service layers are the core drivers of its adoption in the libraries. The respondents showed their concern over security and data privacy in cloud.

The study establishes the fact that the benefits of cloud computing are inadequate to convince the libraries to migrate from the traditional computing paradigm to the cloud. Technological advancement may not transform the cloud into a mainstream technology. To motivate the expansion of cloud computing adoption, emphasis has to be laid upon collaboration between the cloud service providers supplemented by solid cloud legislations which need to be worked out.

The paper provides the perceptions of library professionals in response to the adoption of cloud computing.

The purpose of this paper is to discuss issues involved in navigating the modern information environment where the relevance of cloud computing is unavoidable. This is a way of shifting from the hardware and software demands of storing and organizing data, to information access concerns. That is because with the exponential growth in information sources and all accompanying complexities, the limited capacity of libraries to host their own in its entirety necessitates opting for alternatives in the cloud.

A review of current literature about the topic was performed

Literature used reveals that currently, libraries are using the cloud for putting together user resources, i.e. using Software as a Service (SaaS), such as in library catalogues, WorldCat, Googledocs, and the aggregated subject gateways like SUMMON, and others; the web Platform as a Service (PaaS) as in the use of GoogleApp Engine; or Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) as in the use of D‐Space, FEDORA, and others. The cloud is confirmed as a facilitator in storing and accessing information in addition to providing a unified web presence with reduced local storage capacity challenges.

The value of these findings is to remind librarians of the shift in focus towards which devices provide the easiest access to data and applications. This is one of the reasons they in many instances are currently having to address issues relating to the use of electronic media tools such as smartphones, iPad, e‐book readers, and other handheld devices. The largely borderless information resources also bring to the forefront considerations about digital rights management, fair use, information security, ownership and control of data, privacy, scholarly publishing, copyright guidance, and licensing that the librarian has to be knowledgeable about. It has become necessary for librarians who make use of commercial cloud services to be conversant with the implications on institutional data. To avert the ever present dangers and risks involving cyber‐security, it is usually practical for institutions to keep policies, procedures, fiscal, and personnel data in private clouds that have carefully crafted access permissions. Being aware of these implications enables thoughtful, adaptive planning strategies for the future of library practice and service.