cloud collaboration: using (microsoft) sharepoint as a tool to enhance access services jennifer...

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

© Jennifer Diffin, Fanuel Chirombo, and Dennis Nangle

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

© Jennifer Diffin, Fanuel Chirombo, and Dennis Nangle

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

© Jennifer Diffin, Fanuel Chirombo, and Dennis Nangle

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

© Jennifer Diffin, Fanuel Chirombo, and Dennis Nangle

ILS Circulation Locations

© Jennifer Diffin, Fanuel Chirombo, and Dennis Nangle

Overview of Intranets

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

© Jennifer Diffin, Fanuel Chirombo, and Dennis Nangle

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

© Jennifer Diffin, Fanuel Chirombo, and Dennis Nangle

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

© Jennifer Diffin, Fanuel Chirombo, and Dennis Nangle

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

© Jennifer Diffin, Fanuel Chirombo, and Dennis Nangle

Limitations of UMUC Intranet • Restricted contributors- difficult to

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

© Jennifer Diffin, Fanuel Chirombo, and Dennis Nangle

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

© Jennifer Diffin, Fanuel Chirombo, and Dennis Nangle

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

© Jennifer Diffin, Fanuel Chirombo, and Dennis Nangle

The Appeal of the Cloud

• Cost-effective• Efficient• Fosters Innovation

© Jennifer Diffin, Fanuel Chirombo, and Dennis Nangle

Cloud Concerns

• Security• Privacy• Data Ownership

© Jennifer Diffin, Fanuel Chirombo, and Dennis Nangle

The Road to SharePoint• A Complex

History• Initial Obstacles

© Jennifer Diffin, Fanuel Chirombo, and Dennis Nangle

A Careful Approach

© Jennifer Diffin, Fanuel Chirombo, and Dennis Nangle

SharePoint in Context

• Departmental Move• Creating a service point without

ILS staff• Developing a wiki for the new

service point staff

© Jennifer Diffin, Fanuel Chirombo, and Dennis Nangle

Effective Knowledge Transfer

© Jennifer Diffin, Fanuel Chirombo, and Dennis Nangle

Documentation Pre-SharePoint:

Dorsey Station

Waldorf

Center

College Park

Adelphi

© Jennifer Diffin, Fanuel Chirombo, and Dennis Nangle

Documentation Post-SharePoint:

Dorsey Station

Waldorf Center

College ParkAdelphi

Largo

© Jennifer Diffin, Fanuel Chirombo, and Dennis Nangle

Document Management’s

“Cloud Intranet”

© Jennifer Diffin, Fanuel Chirombo, and Dennis Nangle

SharePoint- a Comprehensive Cloud Intranet

• Information storage• Coordination• Communication • Collaboration

© Jennifer Diffin, Fanuel Chirombo, and Dennis Nangle

Information Storage

• Wiki for remote location of information

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

© Jennifer Diffin, Fanuel Chirombo, and Dennis Nangle

Coordination

• Calendar• Work

scheduling• Leave

scheduling• Responsibili

ties

© Jennifer Diffin, Fanuel Chirombo, and Dennis Nangle

Communication

• Discussion Board

• Announcement• Sticky Notes

© Jennifer Diffin, Fanuel Chirombo, and Dennis Nangle

Collaboration• Version

History• E-mail alerts

© Jennifer Diffin, Fanuel Chirombo, and Dennis Nangle

Conclusion

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

• Strategy is essential

© Jennifer Diffin, Fanuel Chirombo, and Dennis Nangle

Questions?

Jennifer Diffin – jdiffin@umuc.eduFanuel Chirombo – fchirombo@umuc.eduDennis Nangle – dnangle@umuc.edu

© Jennifer Diffin, Fanuel Chirombo, and Dennis Nangle

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

© Jennifer Diffin, Fanuel Chirombo, and Dennis Nangle