Friday, December 11, 2009

Week 14 Reading Notes

Gruman's article on cloud computing cleared up a number of questions I had regarding what cloud computing is. It alleviated my skepticism about cloud computing's usefulness. Prior to reading the article I felt that remote file storage, while solving some problems, created new problems with storing digital information. Thanks to the article I now see that cloud computing gives new space saving opportunities for libraries and other institutions. I see it helping out businesses and schools as well. With the future of cloud computing the sky's the limit (pun intended).

The video, while not visually stunning, was very informative and explained cloud computing in easy to understand terms. It really drove home the importance of interconnectivity and communication with cloud computing. The flexibility cloud computing brings to the information sciences appears very valuable. This further promotes collaboration The question this leaves me wondering though is how one performs upkeep and maintenance on the cloud computing software. In spite of this, the remote accessiblity of cloud computing looks very convenient and I see it driving the future of computing and information technology.

Frey's article described the future of the library in an effective manner. It showed that as libraries keep up with changing technologies, they remain relevant and essential to society at large. I feel that this once more emphasizes the importance of library science as a field of continuing education where individuals involved with it must keep reading up on new information technologies and how people use digital media to satiate their needs. To meet the demand for information libraries must stay on top of technology, especially with digital media. The not that libraries will transition from a center of information to a center of culture shows that they can remain relevant in the future, just with a different means. I agree that if they keep the experience of patrons enjoyable, stay on top of new technologies, embrace their communities, and experiment with new options that aid patron creativity the library has a bright future. That said, it will take the work of not just the librarians in charge but the entire community it serves to establish a scholarly and informative atmosphere for years to come.

1 comment:

  1. Re: the cloud computing article. I agree that most online discussions and explanations of cloud computing can be rather vague and that this website was pretty descriptive and broke things down rather well.

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