Robin Hastings – författare

Cloud computing can be confusing - the number and types of services that are available through “the cloud” are growing by the day. Making the Most of the Cloud: How to Choose and Implement the Best Services for Your Library takes you through some of the more popular cloud services in libraries and breaks down what you need to know to pick the best one for your library. Some of the cloud services covered are:EmailIntegrated Library Systems (ILS)BackupsProject ManagementGraphics Softwareand much more...With chapters covering cloud topics from the definition of a “cloud” to security in the cloud, this book will be beneficial for any library which is thinking of moving their services outside their organization.

Here, acclaimed technology author and speaker Robin Hastings brings both her own experience as a library’s IT manager with outsourcing technical functions—including email and network backups as well as basic hardware maintenance—and that of others in her network of library techies to round out the book to help libraries of all types and sizes save money and expand services. Outsourced functions covered here range from using an outside firm to assist in creating a new library website to outsourcing basic computer maintenance and network administration. Outsourcing Technology: A Practical Guide for Librarians has something for every size and type of library:Libraries with no IT people at all will learn how to create and manage an IT department made up of outside contractors and providers;Libraries with small IT departments will learn how to supplement their existing skills and offload staff-intensive but non-essential functions to outsourced providers in order to focus on mission critical functions in-house; and,Libraries with large IT departments will learn how to use consultants and vendors to get the most bang for their technology bucks. The care and maintenance of technology is a specialized field requiring a diverse set of skills to perform properly. Many libraries find it difficult to attract skilled people because of a lack of personnel budgets, because of a location that is rural enough to have a limited applicant pool, or because the library lacks enough technological savvy to make effective hiring decisions. Regardless of the reason for the lack of technological skill in a library’s staff, there are ways to outsource major technological functions of the library so that even very small libraries can have the same access to technology as the big libraries - and big libraries can manage huge technological projects with the same resources and skills as multinational companies. Outsourcing Technology: A Practical Guide for Librarians will provide the information and guidance needed for both the smallest libraries to embrace technology and the largest libraries to get the most from their technology investments with tips and tricks for libraries of size between as well. Checklists and forms make this both a great source of information as well as a hands-on tool!

Foreword by Maurice Coleman Technology infuses every aspect of every day in every library, and thus basic technology skills are a prerequisite for everyone who works in a library. Providing a one-stop overview of all technologies used in libraries today, this comprehensive primer belongs at the top of the reading list for any current or future library professional looking to stay at the forefront of technological advancement. Representing a complete update of the book under a new author, this seventh edition of the guide is bolstered with fresh insights gleaned from librarians and library staff members sharing how they work with a given technology in their library settings. Readers will learn about how technologies have historically impacted libraries; electronic resources including e-books, full-text articles, and streaming media; the crucial role of free web information in supporting library research; discovery layers and other systems for organizing information to make it easier to find; desktops, laptops, tablets, and mobile devices; library websites, web services, screencasts, distance learning, and learning management systems; social networking and patron participation, with newly crafted guidelines; makerspaces and other possibilities for adding creative activities and technologies to libraries such as virtual reality and augmented reality; a comprehensive examination of how to build and maintain the library technology environment, with advice on crafting an effective plan, purchasing equipment, putting systems into operation, and preservation issues stemming from dead and dying technologies; Universal Design (UX) and adaptive/assistive technologies; protecting technology and technology users by securing collections, enhancing computer security, and safeguarding privacy; and possible future developments in library technology, with suggested resources for staying informed.