Cloud technologies as a solution for digital collections management in small libraries

Abstract

Aim of this paper is to present experiences related to development and maintenance of LoCloud Collections platform (https://locloudhosting.net), including the identified needs of small cultural institutions and features of the described platform. This platform was developed during EC-funded project and is running as a completely free production-quality service since 2015. It is currently being used by 40 institutions from 11 European countries. This service allows quick and easy creation of your own digital library and publishing of your data on-line and to Europeana. This service is available in so called Software-as-a-Service model. It means that using LoCloud Collections does not require to own IT infrastructure and staff. The service is free and will remain free in the nearest future, as it is funded from public sources.