Cloud computing for libraries

Cloud Computing (CC) is a promising yet somewhat mysterious concept that gained scientific prominence in early 2007 and has recently become a hot topic in Arab societies. Its operation relies on three main pillars:A) The Internet. B) Remote Datacenters. C) Virtualization Technology. The importance of this computing model can be illustrated by its ability to transform the Internet into a vast repository where computing resources are available as various public utilities on demand, anytime, anywhere, 24/7. It also serves as a means of storing and securing massive amounts of data, ensuring access only to authorized applications and/or users. Despite the security risks associated with cloud computing, as it transfers full or partial control of data to the Cloud Service Provider, it remains the technological choice of the future due to the diverse technical, human, and physical solutions it offers to organizations. The book "e;Cloud Computing for Libraries: Solutions and Applications"e; aims to help libraries understand the new technological landscape, overcome the ambiguity surrounding the subject of cloud computing, and enhance its current status and future trends. It provides a reference that serves as a guide for these libraries at all levels that wish to develop their services by jumping across the internet to the world of the cloud. In addition, it helps professionals and technicians working in them to understand the environment and the developments of the current scientific and technological landscape more accurately and in an easy and simplified way.