Ellyssa Kroski. "Library Cloud Atlas: A Guide to Cloud Computing and Storage". Library Journal.com. 10 September 2009.
The part of this article that really grabbed my attention was near the end where Kroski discusses how libraries have been transitioning to cloud computing. She mentions the LITA Top Tech Trends panel at the 2009 ALA Conference at Chicago this summer, of which cloud computing was a main topic. Libraries were counseled to carefully consider what information they wanted to entrust to the cloud. One person argued that libraries who chose cloud computing relinquished their responsibility to preserve information. Privacy issues, such as patron records, can also be a problem in the cloud.
Kroski lists several libraries that have transferred information to the cloud. All the libraries listed are using applications from Google (in the form of App Engine, Docs, or Analytics) or Amazon (in the form of EC2 or S3). The easiest ones to see are the libraries hosting their websites through either App Engine or EC2. I spent some time browsing the DC Public Library's page that Kroski mentions. It is quite trendy. The front page includes a list of the Top Downloads and rotating photos of the covers of popular books. Unfortunately, when I tried to use the catalog I received an error message. I am not sure if that has anything to do with the cloud computing aspect of the website, but it was disappointing nevertheless.
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