Delegation at the macro level: library IT, spheres of influence, and the promise of cloudware

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the implications of budget cuts on libraries' ability to continue to maintain labor‐intensive IT maintenance on multiple systems. Design/methodology/approach – The paper presents a discussion of the likely impact of the increasing popularity of cloud‐based and hosted information technology solutions. Findings – Library practice, and emerging technology products targeted at library information systems, point to the fact that libraries with limited IT staff may continue to reduce their involvement in enterprise‐level IT projects and focus more on service provision and local enhancements. Research limitations/implications – The change in IT environments towards increasingly hosted solutions creates implications for library IT departments in terms of focus and needed skill‐sets. Practical implications – This paper brings the issue of library IT constraints to the forefront in an effort to engage librarians in a discussion about where IT influence should be directed, and awareness of some of the practical concerns about moving to hosted and cloudware solutions. Social implications – The culture of library practice could be affected by this issue, and may have wider ramifications in terms of future library IT development and distributions of effort. Originality/value – The paper is timely, addressing a current question and debate within the field. It proposes that librarians should explore the questions inherent in altering IT offerings in light of new vendor capabilities.