This paper discuss the emerging technology cloud computing and its potential advantages for college libraries to automate their library services

1. Can Cloud Computing help for Government Colleges to Automate their
Libraries? A Point of View
Vasantha Raju N.1andN.S.Harinarayana2
1 Librarian, Government First Grade College, Periyapatna
vasanthrz@gmail.com
2Associate Professor, Department of Library & Information Science, University of Mysore, Mysore
ns.harinarayana@gmail.com
Cloud computing is a computing in which large groups of remote servers are networked to allow
centralized data storage and online access to computer services or resources. This paper discusses about
the cloud computing architecture and how it can be used in automating college libraries in general and
government colleges in particular. This paper subsequently discusses the current status of library
automation in Government Colleges and potential advantagesof implementing cloud computing for
automating libraries.
Keywords: Cloud Computing, Library Automation, College Libraries, Government Colleges, Karnataka
1. INTRODUCTION
Ever since Internet is introduced in 1960s, it has radically altered the information
landscape. The subsequent development in web technologies in relation to data storage
and access has provided unprecedented advantages for making information available
ubiquitously. The huge success of some of the Internet applications such as Facebook,
Flickr, Twitter and other similar Web 2.0 product brought the issue of storing and
accessing information in a virtualized environment to the forefront of technological
debate. Today, the Internet applications that we use, for instance Gmail, Google Docs,
Facebook, Flickr, and Twitter are hosted in a cloud environment, which provides 24/7
access to these tools (Anderson &Rainie,2010). The success of these Internet
applications in cloud environment has aroused interest in business enterprises and
other non-profit institutions such as educational institutions for having huge data
storage and accessing capabilities for deploying required IT services for their user base
through virtual or cloud computing environment.
Cloud computing is “a style of computing in which massively scalable and elastic IT-
enabled capabilities are delivered as a service to external customers using Internet
technologies” (Gartner Group, 2009 Cited in Goldner, 2010). Cloud computing help
1
Corresponding Author: Vasantha Raju N. Librarian, Government First Grade College, Periyapatna. E-Mail:
vasanthrz@gmail.com

2. libraries to shift from running independent systems for automating libraries by
installing costly hardware, software and other necessary systems to collaborative
environment where a group of libraries utilize same applications for converting their
library holdings without owning hardware, software and other necessary systems. Thus
libraries can save duplication of work and huge amount of money. In other words data
on cloud can be easily shared with other libraries or organizations. The need for local
storage, maintenance and data backup is not necessary in cloud environment. Many
college libraries in Karnataka have a similar holdings, thus by introducing cloud
computing automation of libraries can be done in much efficient and easy way. “The
potential for collaboration between libraries is truly revolutionary in a cloud
environment” says Matthew Goldner (2011). This paper discusses some the issues with
regard to present status of library automation and how cloud computing architecture
can help in overcoming some of the impediments that are hindering the library
automation at the government degree colleges.
2. PRESENT STATUS OF AUTOMATION OF GOVERNMENT DEGREE COLLEGE
LIBRARIES
Library automation refers to the use of computers to automate the typical procedures of
libraries such as cataloging, acquisition, circulation, serial control and other library
administrative functions (Wikipedia, 2012). Library automation has not been quite a
success in government colleges across Karnataka. Previous studies have found that man
power, financial support and infrastructural facilities were the major impediments for
library automation (Samptha Kumar &Biradar, 2010; Balasubramanya&Guruprasad,
2011). The Department of Collegiate Education (DCE) has making all effort to
implement ICTs in college libraries but it has not been very fruitful till to date. Now the
technological developments have provided opportunities to overcome the problems
such as, lack of infrastructure (in-terms of hardware requirements), man-power and
financial constraints. Table -1 depicts the automation status in some of the government
college libraries in Mysore.

3. Table 1. Present Status of Automation of Government College Libraries in Mysore District
Name of the College
Status of Automation
Data Entry
(retro-
conversion)
Data entry done by Software Used
Sri.D.DevarajUrs Government First Grade
College
75.00% Library staff EasyLib
Maharani's Science College for Women 50.00% Software Agency Library Manager
Maharani's Arts College for Women 50.00% Software Agency Library Manager
Government First Grade College -
Krishnarajanagar
50.00% Software Agency Library Manager
Government First Grade College-Kuvempu
Nagar
40.00% Software Agency Library Manager
Government First Grade College –
Heggadevanakote
35.00% Software Agency Library Manager
Government First Grade College-Bannur No No No
Government First Grade College-Bilikere No No No
Government First Grade College-Hanagodu No No No
Government College for Women-
Hootagalli(Vijaynagar)
No No No
Government First Grade College-
Nanjanagudu
No No No
Government College for Women-Saligrama No No No
Government First Grade College-
Periyapatna
No No No
Government First Grade College- Siddartha
Layout, Mysore
No No No
Government First Grade College-
T.Narasipura
No No No
Government First Grade College- Ullahalli,
Nanjangud
No No No
Government First Grade College for Women-
Hunsur
No No No
Adopted from: “Problems in application of ICT in government colleges: A study of selected colleges in Mysore district” by
P. Balasubramanya& D. S. Guruprasad, 2011, Paper presented at the National Conference on Managing College
Libraries: Issues and Trends, JSS College of Arts, Commerce & Science, Mysore.
It can be seen from Table 1 that, none of the government degree colleges in Mysore have
successfully completed automation of library functions, only few colleges, have partially
completed data entry of the manual cataloguing records. Major problems that these
libraries have had in completing library automation in their respective libraries were
lack of man power, lack of IT infrastructure and financial support. The software used for
automating libraries was not supported in web environment. To overcome these
problems in automating Government College libraries, one solution that we have now is
‘cloud computing’. Let us see, how cloud computing architecture can help college
libraries to automate their libraries?
3. HOW CLOUD COMPUTING ARCHITECTURE CAN HELP COLLEGES TO
AUTOMATE THEIR LIBRARIES?

4. The less dependency on infrastructure, avoiding duplication of work, integration of data
and 24/7 access to data all have great potential in helping college libraries to automate
library functions. Each of these functions is discussed succinctly in the following section.
3.1 Reduce dependency on infrastructure ( server and other hardware
peripherals)
As mentioned elsewhere in this paper that some of the impediments of automating
college libraries were infrastructure, human resources and financial requirements. By
using cloud computing, the required server and other hardware peripherals and
software can be avoided. The service providers will provide data storage space required
for hosting the software and also take care of the up gradation and maintenance of
library management systems. The scalability of cloud computing help college libraries
to pay for what they use rather investing huge capital amount for server and other
hardware peripherals. For example, if a library use data storage space from service
providers (e.g., Amazon EC2) only for that library entitle to pay the amount not for data
storage systems (servers).
3.2 Duplication of work can be avoided
One of the major advantage of cloud computing is the sharing of resources across
libraries. Cloud computing is browser based technology. The data can be accessed
ubiquitously and from anywhere. The data entered in library can be shared across
other libraries. For instance, as we all familiar with Library of Congress (LoC)
centralized library catalog which allow MARC record to be shared across member
libraries. WorldCat is also best example of how OCLC member libraries involved in
creating world union catalog. In a similar way, college libraries in Karnataka, by sharing
their catalogues through cloud environment can reduce the duplication of work.
Duplication of work thus reduces the man power requirement for automating library
functions.
3.3Browser based technology (virtualization) 24/7 Access
Cloud computing is based on browser based technology. Software, platforms on which
applications are hosted can be accessed through web browsers. Content or information
can be accessed anytime and anywhere. Since cloud computing is web-based model, if

5. any problem occurs at on-site, this can be rectified virtually without being present on-
site for identifying problem. Thus work can be done quickly through Internet.
3.4Integration and exchange of data
In cloud computing environment the integration of data across web applications are
made simple. Library discovery tools can be enriched with integrating Google Book
Search and Amazon web services. Data stored in one library can be shared with other
libraries without much hassle. Text, multimedia and other interactive formats can be
integrated and shared among web users.
4. CONCLUSION
The cloud computing largely reduce the burden of having local hardware and software
infrastructure, which is so far hindered the automation of library services in many of
the college libraries in Karnataka or elsewhere. The paper showcases how library
automation can be done without having in-house IT infrastructure to automate college
libraries, which are very much in need of changing their outlook as the time evolves.
REFERENCES
Anderson, J. Q., &Rainie, L. (2010).The future of cloud computing. Washington, D.C.: Pew
Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project. Retrieved from
http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2010/The-future-of-cloud-computing.aspx
Balasubramanya, P., &Guruprasad, D.S. (2011, December).Problems in application of ICT
in government colleges: A study of selected colleges in Mysore district. Paper
presented at the National Conference on Managing College Libraries: Issues and
Trends, JSS College of Arts, Commerce & Science, Mysore.
Goldner, M. R. (2010). Winds of change: Libraries and cloud computing. Retrieved from
http://www.bibliothek-saur.de/preprint/2010/ar2685_goldner.pdf
Sampath Kumar, B. T., & Biradar, B. S. (2010). Use of ICT in college libraries in
Karnataka, India: A survey. Program: Electronic Library and Information Systems,
44(3), 271-282.
Wikipedia, (2012).Library automation. Retrieved from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Library_automation
Citation for this Article:
Vasantha Raju, N., & Harinarayana, N.S. (2015). Can cloud computing help for government
colleges to automate their libraries: A point of view. In Ganapathi Z. Shinde, Mallikarjun Angadi,
Suresh Jange& Parashuram S. Kattimani (Eds). Emerging technologies and future of libraries (pp.
145-149). Delhi: Daya Publishing House. ISBN: 9789351246107