Basic Google Calendar in the Library

Introduction Aim 1: Google calendar used across the Library staff Aim 2: Minimum level of use would like to see – to show leave, meetings, seminars, other time you cannot be disturbed or be available for meetings. BUSY in calendar terms means you are not free to be attending meetings, workshops etc (does not mean you are not busy in your job…) Aim 3: Minimum access level that all Library staff offer in settings for calendar sharing is access to all at UCD, showing busy/free time only. If aims 1-3 can be achieved this enables booking of meetings without needing email or doodle or having any delay to ask other staff to let you see their basic calendar Using other calendars – must either add also to Google calendar OR synch if using say Outlook Calendar is portable; and it is shareable

PART ONE: THE BASICS Access Tour Settings

1. Access UCD Connect login and then click on Calendar It is quite independent of UCD Connect though so you can go to google.ie, login and then get calendar via Google Mobile devices with Calendar app will synch automatically with your Google calendar, very convenient in meetings etc, add in on the mobile device and appears in your calendar

2. A tour Can seem a bit daunting at first glance Top right alter the display options Right bar is tasks if you are using that and at top of each day they also show that are due Top left navigate through the calendar arrows or use the calendar – optional extra is year display Create button at left is one way to create events Left is the list of calendars you can view Middle is the nitty gritty – all day events at top, timed events in the rest

3. Settings Take a look at LABS – option to suppress early morning and late evening slots; year at a glance option; others also....next meeting, icons.. GENERAL SETTINGS – date and time display styles, custom view, change your working day when available for meetings, automatically add invitations to my calendar CALENDAR SETTINGS Set Public for UCD free/busy as minimum

Calendar settings continued If your default setting is everyone at UCD can see just when you are busy, no detail, you can list individual people to see more details If you want to let everyone at UCD see the details of your events you can If you want to let people everywhere see your calendar at either just busy or detailed levels that is up to you also Whoever you have allowed to see details of your events, for any individual event you can hide the details and make it private to yourself

PART TWO: Creating entries Standard events All day events Repeat events Tasks Editing – change details or for time changes drag and drop

4.Standard events Choice of ways to add an event – on the diary space pop up; using left red Create button; mark up the time and create event What, where, description Colour scheme if you wish Reminders, Attachments Privacy settings – override your general calendar setting to make the details private for everybody, if this is just a “note” to you make the setting available so you do not appear as busy Edit | Delete | Change date and time

5. Further event creation options All day event. Can use it for things like leave, conferences, (better to block up the whole day?).. or for “tasks” that repeat regularly. Appear at the top of each day. Repeat event – regular cycle weekly, monthly of event Duplicate event – a series of similar events but on different dates e.g. Mon, Wed, Fri of the week or slightly different dates each month

6 Task Creation Private to do lists Good for 1-off things that can be done any time during the day Task list at right side of all outstanding tasks Tasks appear at the top of the day when they must be completed You can create multiple lists for different types of work

PART THREE: Fixing meetings Checking group of peoples’ calendars – option to let the system find a time is good one to use Inviting people to meetings in Calendar Importance of replying when you get an email invitation so the organiser and owner knows if you are going to attend or not You can set things up variably but if you set it up so, when you say YES I am attending a meeting, it will appear in your calendar, you do not have to do anything if another invites you, other than say yes (or no, don’t say maybe unless give a note)

7. Checking calendars of others “Layering your co-workers’ calendars” Build up list of people at left regularly need to check their availability Adding to that is easy if they have made their calendar available across UCD If not a form appears and you will need to send a request that they let you see their calendar

8. Fixing the meeting in Calendar Can just check and then revert to email etc but would be more streamlined to fix the meeting in Calendar – different working method already being used quite a lot Find and Block in the free slot and send an invite OR let the system find a slot which is more foolproof, includes all day events that you not spot People need to REPLY yes or no when they get these invites in their mailbox You can include emails of people not using Calendar as well, if find a slot that suits 4 users in the group can take a chance on couple more who do not seem to be using calendar and see..

An invite in your mail

When you reply the organiser sees this

PART FOUR: Team calendars The benefits of a team calendar: multiple views of one entry e.g. Team meetings Creating a team calendar Using a team calendar: viewing team and personal calendars at the same time Using a team calendar: copying entries from team to personal calendar

9. Benefits of a team calendar Everyone can view the team calendar alongside their own personal calendar – so you do not have to invite everyone individually to each “event” you put in it People can alternatively copy items from the team calendar into their personal calendar Good for team meetings, things like project deadlines and other key dates Good for actions that more than one person needs to see Managers and team leaders may want to consider this possibility

10. Adding and viewing a team calendar (or any other second calendar) My Calendars | Create New Calendar… Probably for these want to make it only viewable to a list of named people e.g. a team or working group AND perhaps consider that everyone can make changes to the events across the team Switch it on alongside your personal calendar so you always see both OR you can copy events from the team calendar to your own (but you cannot really use both methods or you get double views)

Finally..... Good Help system is available under Settings