Assessment of Cloud Computing Technologies for Library Service Delivery in Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Port Harcourt, Nigeria

Abstract

The study assessed cloud computing technologies for library service delivery in Ignatius Ajuru University of Education (IAUE), Rivers  State. Specifically, the study sought to assess cloud computing technologies used in the library, areas of application of cloud computing,  benefits and challenges of cloud computing technologies in IAUE library. Descriptive survey design was used for the study. The  population of the study consists of 15 librarians working in IAUE library in Rivers State. The entire population was used in the study and  as such there was no sampling. This is because the population was of a manageable size. The instrument used for the study was a self- designed four-point rating scale questionnaire, which elicited responses based on the study objectives. Mean and standard deviation was  used to analyze the gathered data. The study found that Google, YouTube, Google Apps are the cloud technologies used in IAUE  library. Also, the library used cloud technologies in the areas of cataloguing and classification, circulation, acquisitions, integrated management system, and web OPAC. Low capital expenditure on demand services and economies of scale amongst others are found to  be the benefits of cloud computing. The challenges that militate against cloud computing technologies for library services and practices include security and privacy, computing performance, reliability, availability and portability. The study established that cloud computing is  very important and its utilization in library services by librarians would enhance efficiency in information packaging, retrieval and  storage, and recommended that the library should ensure more integration of cloud technologies for easy information service delivery  within and beyond the institution.