Vol. 04, Issue 01,January 2019 Available Online: www.ajeee.co.in/index.php/AJEEE USE OF CLOUD COMPUTING IN LIBRARIES
Abdul Kadir
Asst. Professor (Library Sc.), Govt. Degree College, Faridpur (Bareilly)
Abstract- Cloud computing refers to offering computing services from servers in a network.
Typically cloud services are available on demand, can be accessed over a network, share resources between multiple applications and tenants, scale elastically based on dynamic computing needs, and provide measured service.. Cloud computing offers user centered multilevel services. These days most of the Libraries are moving towards cloud computing technology for maintaining digital libraries, and social networking with multiple flexibilities.
This paper presents an overview of cloud computing, it’s benefits, types of cloud models and covers that how cloud computing help in providing the libraries services in an easy manner.
1 INTRODUCTION
With the change of time and computer technology, the services of all business or Organization which relies on technology also has been changing. In the same line the libraries are also trying to cope with this. Whenever a new phenomenon introduced to computer sc., it effects the all applications of computers and to Library services also. It is very clear that whenever this type of changes occurs in technology, it always subsidize the cost and maintenance of the earlier technology. In libraries to manage the cost of reading material along with the infrastructure of services, is always a challenge to librarians. Cloud computing is helping the libraries to deal with the budgetary problem of libraries. The purpose
of this paper is to help the librarians for application of cloud computing in libraries and know the advantages and drawbacks of it.
2 WHAT IS CLOUD COMPUTING
When you do computing you need some infrastructure, platforms, applications and services and for this you have to expense a lot of money, but when all these phenomenon are provided by some other agencies virtually, it is called as cloud computing. To understand this, let us take the following examples:-
COMPUTING
Phenomenon INFRASTRUCTURE PLATFORM APPLICATION SERVICES This phenomenon
is related to
Here you have to buy time and space on the server of a external agency
Here you will get an existing software platform to build your
own applications on
Here you will access a software application with a Web
browser
On a web browser ready to use services will be accessed
Example Amazon S3
https://aws.amazon.com/
s3/
Face book
https://www.facebo ok.com
Google Docs
https://www.google.co m/docs/about/
ADP
https://www.adp .com
So, cloud computing is internet based computing where virtual shared servers provide software, infrastructure, platform devices and other resources and hosting to customers on a pay-as-you-use basis. All information that a digitized system has to offer is provided as a service in the cloud computing model. Users can access these services available on the “Internet Cloud”
without having any previous know- how on managing the resources involved.
According to the Gartner Group cloud computing as “a style of computing in which massively scalable and elastic IT- enabled capabilities are delivered as a service to external customers using Internet technologies.”
According to Cambridge dictionary cloud computing means- “the use of services, computer programs, etc. that are on the internet rather than ones that you buy and put on your computer”
Vol. 04, Issue 01,January 2019 Available Online: www.ajeee.co.in/index.php/AJEEE According to National Institute of
Standards and Technology (NIST) “Cloud computing is a model for enabling ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications, and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction.”
According to Wikipedia, cloud computing refers to “the delivery of computing as a service rather than a product, whereby shared resources, software, and information are provided to computers and other devices as a metered service over a network, typically the internet”.
3. CLOUD COMPUTING MODELS
Cloud computing is providing developers and IT departments with the ability to focus on what matters most and avoids undifferentiated work like procurement, maintenance, and capacity planning. As cloud computing has grown in popularity, several different models and deployment strategies have emerged to help meet specific needs of different users. Each type of cloud service, and deployment method, provides you with different levels of control, flexibility, and management. There are three main models for cloud computing and each model represents a different part of the cloud computing stack, these are Saas, Paas and Iaas.
3.1. Saas
Saas stands for, Software as a Service, in saas; a complete application is offered to the customer, as a service on demand. A single instance of the service runs on the cloud & multiple end users are serviced. On the customer's side, there is no need for upfront investment in servers or software licenses. Only a single application needs to be hosted & maintained. SaaS is offered by companies such as Google, Salesforce, Microsoft, and Zoho.
3.2. PaaS
Paas stands for, platform as a service. Through PaaS, one can create
quickly and easily web applications without purchasing and maintaining the software and infrastructure required for it. By this model different type of infrastructures such as hardware, operating systems, storage and network capacity can be hired over the internet. The service provider of PaaS provides virtual servers and associated servers on rent to the customers to run the existing applications or to develop and test new applications. It is a software distribution model in which hosted software applications are made available to customers over the Internet. With PaaS, it becomes feasible to change and upgrade the operating system features frequently 3.3 IaaS
Iaas stands for, infrastructure as a service.
In Infrastructure as a Service (IAAS) cloud computing infrastructure servers, storage, network and operating systems are delivered as an on demand service. In IaaS, the equipment used to support operations, including storage, hardware, servers and networking components are outsourced by organizations. The equipment is owned by the service provider and the responsible for housing, running and maintaining it also lies with the service provider. The client typically pays on a per-use basis.
4. CLOUD COMPUTING IN LIBRARY Today we are living in the age of information. Information technology plays a very vital role in handing library resources ranges from collection, storage, organization, processing, and analysis of information dissemination. New concepts and technologies are being added to ease the practices in the libraries and satisfy the needs of the knowledge society. With the advent of information technology, libraries have become automated which is the basic need towards advancement followed by networks and more effort are towards virtual libraries. The emergence of digital library, internet usage, web tools application for libraries, consortium practices leads to the advancement in library profession. Cloud computing is a completely new IT technology and it is known as the third revolution after PC and internet in IT. The recent technology trend
Vol. 04, Issue 01,January 2019 Available Online: www.ajeee.co.in/index.php/AJEEE in library science is use of cloud computing
for various purposes and for achieving economy in library functions. So now we can say that cloud computing is the technique by which libraries are going to solve their real problems. The library community can apply the concept of cloud computing to amplify the power of cooperation and to build a significant, unified presence on the Web. This approach to computing can help libraries save time and money while simplifying workflows.
4.1. Advantages of cloud computing in Libraries
There are so many positive points of cloud computing, some of them are as follows,
• Storage adjustment- In the traditional system, if the server is less than what we have. The server should be replaced with the new one. In this computing, the storage capacity can be adjusted according to the needs of the library, since the storage is controlled by the service provider.
• In reducing the cost- Through cloud computing one can restrict(less/more) consumption of hardware or software resources.
• Supported- Enjoyment of the most advanced security procedures, availability and performance of providers with experience and knowledge in this type of service.
• Rescaling - Scalability is an attribute that describes the ability of a process, network, software or organization to grow and manage increased demand.
A system, business or software that is described as scalable has an advantage because it is more adaptable to the changing needs or demands of its users or clients. “Pay as you go” allowing a more efficient control of expenditures.
• Lower risk, reduced investment - Immediate access to the improvements in the resource proposed (hardware and software) and debugging.
• Accessibility- Access to resources from any geographical point and the ability to test and evaluate resources at no cost.
• Easy to Port- since the service is available over the web, the service can be availed through browser from any part of the world.
4.2. Disadvantages of cloud computing in Libraries
• Everything cloud based: Moving everything to the cloud can be a real challenge as, while cloud is here to stay; it will not replace all traditional hosting or on-premise deployments.
• Unsecure: Cloud architectures don’t automatically grant security compliance for the end-user data or apps on them, and so apps written for the cloud based library services always have to be secure on their own terms.
• Reliability: What’s important is that users try library services before they commit. That way, if there are affected components within the operation of the cloud service or a server is lost, you can rest assured that the right support will be there to manage and compensate for any issues.
• Sympathetic support: Libraries that have a trained staff-base can do this internally, but many don’t so an understanding and sympathetic support layer cannot be overvalued.
4.3. Use of Cloud Computing in Library Services
• Book Lending Service: Cloud platform is now becoming popular to lend the E-Books.
• OPAC /Union /Shared Catalogue/:
Network libraries can use same platform and give access to their collection on one platform. Through cloud computing creation of union catalogue becomes very easy.
Vol. 04, Issue 01,January 2019 Available Online: www.ajeee.co.in/index.php/AJEEE
• Document Delivery Service: One can download documents easily if permit access in the network.
• Digital preservation/Scanning Service: Digitization and scanning work can be done centralized and so one can avoid duplication of such time consuming work. Libraries can preserve the collection is digital form in the form of archives.
• SDI: Cloud computing can be used for article delivery service to the patrons by the libraries. Publishers are already using this technology for providing access to libraries.
• CAS: To provide current awareness service to all patrons has become easy with cloud computing.
• Information Literacy/Orientation:
Libraries can conduct information literacy and orientation courses on the cloud. They can keep the tutorials, videos, presentations and files on the cloud for user’s orientation.
• File sharing: To share various files in electronic form become easy with the cloud computing.
• Resource Sharing:
Document/catalogue sharing has become easy with cloud computing.
• Bulletin board service: We can provide new services on bulletin board with this technology.
• Information Common: Information common like bibliographical data, content pages, cover pages, question papers, syllabus, and other reading material we can share on one platform. It helps in improving economy of library and avoids duplication of library purchase.
• Collection Development: Cloud computing is used for collection development. Duplications can be easily avoided and alternate resources can be located and made accessible to patrons.
• Information Discovery: Cloud provides a platform to store all information that one can access anytime from anywhere; so information discovery and searching
become easy and it is very useful for researchers.
• E-Learning: In the E-Learning environment too, cloud computing is boon. Study material can be kept on the cloud for reference purpose and online examinations also can be conducted. Discussions, revisions can be done at a time from different places.
• Social Interactions with the users:
Can be possible because of cloud computing.
5. SCOPE FOR LIBRARIAN
With the help of cloud computing librarian can do a lot of jobs; he or she can,
• Track member information and transactions
• Provide Access Pin to students and define validity. (Pin can be auto generated; Validity can be set in the software)
• Communicate with the member libraries contributing their resources to cloud for resource sharing
• Communicate with the EBooks, Journals publishers& distributors, consortia, database providers
• Discuss with faculty members and subject experts, librarians for preparing different packages for different faculties and classes.
• Update technological skills
• Give technological support to member libraries
• Conduct training and awareness programs for readers
• Provide interlibrary loan facility
• Track usage record of cloud resources
• Develop digital collection
• Keep record of physical resources too for providing referral service
• Deal with Cloud resource and players and select the best bargain.
• Maintain own virtual profile by creating his or her blog or social network profile to interact with the user. The same platform can be used for providing reference services and educating the users on cloud
Vol. 04, Issue 01,January 2019 Available Online: www.ajeee.co.in/index.php/AJEEE resources or how to use the Cloud
infrastructure.
• Use his or her strategic planning and decision making ability at different stages of developing a Cloud library.
6. CONCLUSION
In fact, cloud computing is not a new technology, but a new form of computing and libraries can be benefitted by it. The cooperative effect of libraries using same shared hardware, services and data rather than hosting hardware and software on behalf of individual libraries can result in lowering the total costs of managing library collections and exchanging the both library users experience and library staff workflows. Therefore it is time for libraries think seriously for libraries services with cloud based technologies and provide reliable and rapid services to their users.
Another role of LIS professionals in this virtual era is to make cloud based services as a reliable medium to disseminate library services to their users with ease of use and save the time of users.
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