With the increasing number of students & library resources in educational institutes, managing a library with a traditional management system is not only time-consuming but also difficult. To overcome this situation, an automated integrated library management system has been evolved. With the latest trends of Cloud computing in the educational sector, Cloud based software services are becoming popular among Indian library users. Deployments of many large applications are coming up on the cloud which customers are adapting happily without any reservations. Keeping this trend in mind, we are migrating our LIBSYS sites from on-premises licenses to subscription-based models on Cloud.
Cloud based Solution – Access from anywhere, anytime
A cloud-based integrated library management system has given a new dimension to the libraries by providing a “management on the go” feature. The interfaces are designed as per their usability in cross-platform environments to fulfill the minimum requirements of a library. It reduces the pressure on library staff and increases access to resources from any location, any time using any device including tablets, mobiles, and smartphones.
Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC) search interface within the integrated library management software can provide cloud based access to library resources. Through OPAC, patrons can search the information authorwise, titlewise, placewise, and subjectwise.
Reasons for Worldwide adoption of ILMS on cloud
Economical
There is no capital expenditure involved in maintaining IT infrastructure which is generally required to run today’s high-end Web applications. Customer pays as per their usage based on the subscription plan.
Automatic Software Updates
The software updates are applied to deployed applications as soon as they are available without loss of time.
24X7 Availability
The user can access applications remotely 24/7 from anywhere with an uptime of 99.9% as per industry standards.
Reliable Database Backups
Regular and reliable database backups are scheduled and automatically taken on the cloud which keeps the customer free from all worries as applications on cloud deployments can recover in case of any mishaps.
Secure, Scalable & Reliable
Web application on cloud is secured as it’s not accessible to staff without tough authentication set by service provider. The deployment configuration can be scaled up and down dynamically as per the user’s needs with reliability as needed for critical applications.
Effective Trouble Shooting
Besides easy deployment of the application, Cloud offers timely maintenance with a better turn around time through a single point of contact.
Single Point of Contact
The user has to contact only one service provider in case of any problems faced, which results in quick and effective resolution.
Better Return on Investment
Besides saving on finances, there are many inherent benefits enjoyed by all the stakeholders as they are not concerned with any day-to-day operations keeping them free for their primary tasks.
To enhance efficiency and save expenditure on IT infrastructure and manpower, libraries are adopting the concept of cloud computing. The adoption of cloud computing technology enables a library to provide quick and appropriate access. Integrating library systems into a cloud environment also minimizes the wastage of paper and ensures that the systems are used to their maximum capacity.
You might want to read about Library 2.0 the next generation web based library management system
