An Arrow in the Cloud Yvonne Desmond LIR Seminar 2012

An Arrow in the CloudYvonne DesmondLIR Seminar 2012

Technology and Libraries

Tyranny of the C Prompt

Cd-Rom Towers

Library Networks

Library Management Systems

Telex/Fax

Rise of Teckie Librarian

Change in Users

• Always on technology• Social Computing Don’t need us! “There’s an app for that!”

• Do we know what they want?• Do we know the questions?

Libraries

• Struggle in a hostile world• Fast pace of change• Old roles disappearing• What are the new ones?• No staff/no money/ no resources• Do what we are good at

Adapt and survive

The cloud and libraries

• Is business model• Computing as a service• Hosted service/economies of scale• Library as client• Scale up/Down• Pay as you go model

Advantages

• Don’t need to invent it/interface

• Buying contracted service• Annual commitment• Predictable spend• Vendors collective knowledge• Suite of support tools• Merged into existing roles

Disadvantages

• Don’t own it• Realistic expectations• Quality of customer support• Commercial entity• Evaluation and monitoring• Vendor lock in• Interoperability

Context for Arrow

IUA Project• Well Funded• Project Group• Build• Designated Person• National Research

Portal

Arrow • Meagre Funding• Observer• No build• No person• National Research

Portal

Decisions

• Outsource IR• Appropriate Vendor• Security• Experience• Best value for money• Contract

What we got

• Ease of mind• Suite of designers• Professional training• Short, sharp learning curve• 3 year subscription

Advantages

• Up and running• Nice interface• Support• Show and Tell• Publicity/Marketing• Rapid ingest• Publications Mandate

Extras

Statistics• Not hits/downloads• Author Dashboard• Monthly Status

Report• Blogs/feedback• Annual Stats

Journals

• Publishing module IJASS…Social Science SDAR….Engineering

IJAP…..Learning and Teaching

In Print…..Art and Design

Standardization

•Will be a set menu• Tweak• Adapt• Book Format

Standard Book Format

Events Module

Benefits of cloud

• Working with experts• Support/Open to suggestions• Fast/Professional• Always on Innovation• Free to do what good at• Saves time, money

Disadvantages

• Set menu• Inflexible• Have to follow their ways• Interoperability• Compromise• Trade-Off

Finally…..

• IR only possible in the cloud• Placed us at heart of research community• Library as Publisher• Can look to experiment• Can stay on the cutting edge

Spend more time thinking about what to do

Yvonne DesmondYvonne.desmond@dit.ie