Library Access to the Cloud

by Jeanne Marie Bredestege

What is the use of using library public access computers to get your work done if, for the sake of privacy, the memory is wiped between log-ins? Many patrons formerly faced this conundrum before the advent of cloud computing. The Lexico web dictionary (powered by Oxford publications), defines cloud computing as “The practice of using a network of remote servers hosted on the Internet to store, manage, and process data, rather than a local server or a personal computer.” In other words, storing, and in some cases, creating your work on a platform other than the one you are using locally. For the average person who uses library computers to access the internet and get work done, such as creating word files and spreadsheets, cloud computing is a godsend.  

Perhaps the most popular cloud computing platform for this type of work is Google Drive. Google drive was an outgrowth of the wildly popular Gmail, which many people adopted as web-based email when it was released. Everyone with a Gmail account automatically had access to the various components of Google Drive as they became available. Very functional apps, such as word processing (Google Docs), spreadsheets (Google Sheets), and presentations (Google Slides) can be used much the same way as their familiar Microsoft Office counterparts. Work is automatically saved every few minutes, and it will all be there the next time you log in. As I mentioned above, since library computers are set up to wipe out all memory between user log-ins in order to protect privacy, this is a key feature of cloud computing in a public setting. 

Apps are great, but if a library user is familiar with the Miscrosoft suite and does not wish to use anything else, there is an alternative. Most library public access computers are equipped with a basic set of apps, such as Word, Publisher, and Excel, which can be used by patrons. The documents can then be saved on a remote server in the cloud, such as Dropbox, in order to be accessed again in a subsequent session. Platforms such as Dropbox also allow for easy file sharing, when the account information is shared with other users. 

It would behoove the library worker to become familiar with all the facets and possibilities of cloud computing in order the assist the library computer users in doing their work. Knowing about such issues as privacy and data mining can help us protect the unwary against data breaches and other dangers. It also opens up a whole world of possibilities for the library user to not only do work, but also save data such as photos and memories, journal entries, create digital art, and other recreational uses.

  

Work Cited: 

“Cloud Computing | Meaning of Cloud Computing by Lexico.” Lexico Dictionaries | English, 2019, www.lexico.com/definition/cloud_computing.