Cloud Collaboration: Using (Microsoft) SharePoint as a Tool to Enhance Access Services Jennifer Diffin Assistant Director for Systems and Access Services

Cloud Collaboration:Using (Microsoft) SharePoint as a Tool to Enhance Access ServicesJennifer Diffin

Assistant Director for Systems and Access Services

Fanuel Chirombo and Dennis Nangle Library Technicians

April 29, 2010

© Jennifer Diffin, Fanuel Chirombo, and Dennis Nangle

Outline• About Us• Intranet overview• Cloud computing overview• Move to SharePoint• SharePoint Wiki for Remote Circ

Locations• SharePoint as Comprehensive Cloud

Intranet• Conclusion


History of UMUC• Founded in 1947• Primarily distance education

serving working professionals• Approximately 86,000 worldwide

headcount (~27,000 FTE)• Member of the University System

of Maryland and Affiliated Institutions (USMAI)

• Military contracts


Information & Library Services (ILS)

• Staff located in Largo, MD• Previously had physical libraries in

Germany and Japan• Remote/satellite locations change• 27 library staff members, 2

graduate assistants


Document Management (DM) Team

• 1 Librarian• 1 Library Associate• 3 Library Technicians• 4-5 student workers (shared with

other library departments)• Remote circulation points

throughout Maryland


ILS Circulation Locations


Overview of Intranets

• What is an intranet?• Functions of Intranets• What are the benefits• Limitations of UMUC Intranet


What is an Intranet?

• A private network belonging to an organization’s members, employees, or others with authorization.

• “…part of the organizational internal information system, dedicated to the support of group work and mastering of organizational knowledge.”

Botazzo, 2005


Functions of Intranets

• Administrative – finance, human resources, records management, course scheduling.

• Academic- research, course work, publishing and course administration.

• General- communication and public relations.

Weiner, 1999


What are the Benefits?

• Sharing information and documents

• Easy updating of documents• Saves time through online

discussions• Quick and easy access to vital

information

Natarajan, 2008


Limitations of UMUC Intranet • Restricted contributors- difficult to

update, edit and/or access.• Interdepartmental promotional tool.


Cloud Computing- An Overview

• Became an official ‘buzz word’ in 2006

• Has several definitions and contexts

• An ‘official’ definition:– “In cloud computing…the software

resides on an [I]nternet server run by or on behalf of the software supplier, and users get to access the features of those applications via the [I]nternet”

Venkatraman, 2009


A Helpful Metaphor for Cloud Computing

“My attitude towards online information…was pretty close to taking my paycheck in cash, and stuffing it under the mattress because I didn’t trust a bank to hold it for me… Now we can treat the [W]eb much more like a bank with a network of ATMs: it’s a secure repository with a network of points where you can withdraw your information on demand.” Gunderloy, 2008


The Appeal of the Cloud

• Cost-effective• Efficient• Fosters Innovation


Cloud Concerns

• Security• Privacy• Data Ownership


The Road to SharePoint• A Complex

History• Initial Obstacles


A Careful Approach


SharePoint in Context

• Departmental Move• Creating a service point without

ILS staff• Developing a wiki for the new

service point staff


Effective Knowledge Transfer


Documentation Pre-SharePoint:

Dorsey Station

Waldorf

Center

College Park

Adelphi


Documentation Post-SharePoint:

Dorsey Station

Waldorf Center

College ParkAdelphi

Largo


Document Management’s

“Cloud Intranet”


SharePoint- a Comprehensive Cloud Intranet

• Information storage• Coordination• Communication • Collaboration


Information Storage

• Wiki for remote location of information

• Document library• One-stop location of documents• Secure and easily accessible


Coordination

• Calendar• Work

scheduling• Leave

scheduling• Responsibili

ties


Communication

• Discussion Board

• Announcement• Sticky Notes


Collaboration• Version

History• E-mail alerts


Conclusion

• Cloud Intranet– Convenient to access– Secure server– Flexibility

• Strategy is essential


Questions?

Jennifer Diffin – [email protected] Chirombo – [email protected] Nangle – [email protected]


mailto:[email protected]



References• Bottazzo, V. (2005). Intranet: A medium of internal

communication and training. Information Services & use, 25(2), 77-85. Retrieved from http://www.iospress.nl/html/01675265.php

• Gunderloy, M. (2008). Is your information under the mattress or in the ATM?. Retrieved 12/11, 2009, from http://webworkerdaily.com/2008/07/30/information-under-mattress-or-in-atm/

• Natarajan, M. (2008). Knowledge sharing through intranet. Journal of Library and Information Technology, 28(5), 5-12. Retrieved from http://publications.drdo.gov.in/ojs/index.php/djlit/article/view/414/286

• Venkatraman, A. (2009). Capture the cloud. Information World Review, (255), 16-17.

• Weiner, S. (1999). The university intranet. EContent, 22(5), 66-69. Retrieved from http://www.econtentmag.com


http://www.iospress.nl/html/01675265.php

http://webworkerdaily.com/2008/07/30/information-under-mattress-or-in-atm/

http://webworkerdaily.com/2008/07/30/information-under-mattress-or-in-atm/

http://publications.drdo.gov.in/ojs/index.php/djlit/article/view/414/286

http://publications.drdo.gov.in/ojs/index.php/djlit/article/view/414/286

http://www.econtentmag.com/

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Cloud Collaboration: Using (Microsoft) SharePoint as a Tool to Enhance Access Services Jennifer Diffin Assistant Director for Systems and Access Services