Google Calendar

A new Thing for me

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.

Doodle & scheduling meetings

I have come across Doodle a few times as it's used by other Librarians to arrange meetings, but I haven't used it myself before this Thing. It was very easy to set up and use which is probably why it's so popular.

The optional extras were meet-o-matic (I have used it in the past to organise Library Advisory Group meetings) and Tungle which is new to me. I registered my details with Tungle (this didn't take very long) - I think it is a better looking scheduler and I liked how you could 'paint' your availability onto it!


I have synced my Google Calendar to both Doodle and Tungle (for those of you who haven't come across Google Calendar, fear not as this is explained in Thing 6), and I will experiment with using both to see how they may be used for work.