I hadn't come across Google Calendar until I was researching it for my blog post for Thing 6. It's been very interesting to see how other libraries are using it to advertise opening hours (especially if they have several branch libraries) and publicise events, and it started me wondering whether the Education Library would find it useful or not. You're able to embed the Calendar into web pages so it could be an alternative display for our opening hours. I'm also curious to see if it can be embedded within our CamTools sites - more investigation is needed...
My Google Calendar is looking like this at the moment:
I've added some of my meetings to the Calendar, with a reminder to be sent to me by e-mail. For fun, I have the weather icons displayed at the top of the columns & I have added the World Cup 2010 calendar!Useful for the Library?
I had thought Google Calendar could be an alternative to the Weekly Sheet which we have available on the Library staff CamTools - it details staff hours, the lunch rota, events & meetings. But I think all this information would make the Calendar a little over-crowded and difficult to read. However, I will continue to use Google Calendar for meetings and events that I'm involved in. I might look into creating a general Library Calendar to add details of all the inductions we run in the Michaelmas Term as Library staff may find it an easier way to check when we will be busy with new registrations.
Just in relation to your comment about the calendar becoming over-crowded if you transferred all of the information from the Weekly Sheet...
ReplyDeleteAt the Judge we set up a number of calendars (general, leave, sickness, inter-library loans etc) on which we record most events, meetings and reminders. The good thing about setting up separate calendars is that you don't have to view them all at once - you can choose to look at only one and then simply click on the others when needs be. The reminders from all of them still appear in our e-mail so we don't forget anything from any of them. May be worth investigating?
Thanks Kirsty - will look into setting up different calendars. I already have several calendars of my own and I too like how you can choose which one you want displayed.
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