Events: How to Create and Post an Announcement

About events & calendars

Event announcements are posted on Staffweb, including events that are intended for the public as well as Libraries staff.  Events are created in various folders throughout Staffweb and are automatically posted to the calendar and various lists.

Calendar

The Libraries' calendar is located on the Staffweb homepage.  It is also displayed in other locations throughout Staffweb.  Mouse over the blue highlighted dates on the calendar to reveal posted events.

Event lists

Libraries events are listed under the Calendar on the Staffweb homepage and on the Events tab.  Events can also be posted simultaneously to that serve specific interest groups. For example, the Information Resources Forum is typically posted to the main calendar and events list and to the Subject Librarians' Portal events list.  Certain events with restricted or small audiences, such as unit staff meetings, may be posted to one or more lists located in specific Unit, Committees & Groups, or Portal folders.

Event items

Event items are a type of Plone form that staff can fill out.  When completed correctly, the Event item will be displayed in calendars and event lists automatically.

Who can post an event

Anyone who can log into Staffweb can post an event.  However, you can only post an event from a folder where you have editing permissions.  If your Unit or Committees & Groups folder does does not have an Events folder from which you can create an event, you can post it in your personal folder.  Click on My Folder, which is located next to your name on the blue bar.

If you edit Staffweb, you are required to have training. Contact Carolyn Aamot.

When to post an event

Post events to the main Staffweb events calendar whenever the meeting, webinar, event, exhibit, demonstration, etc. is expected to attract a large audience or wide interest, including events that are open to the public.  It is not necessary to add small group meetings, unless they are of general interest or could negatively impact the scheduling of other events.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENT FOR PUBLIC EVENTS, EXHIBITS, LECTURES

All events, exhibits, lectures that are open to the general public must also be reported to the Libraries Communication Officer, A.C. Petersen.  
She will post the event to www.lib.washington.edu/about/news/ and the UW Campus Events Calendar.

How to post an event

Post event items in your Unit, Committees & Group, or My Folder other folder where you have editing permissions.  Or, you can post an event in your personal folder.  Click on My Folder, which is located next to your name on the blue bar.

Best Practice. Keep your event announcements organized and easy to find--create an Events folder in your Unit, Committees & Groups, Portal, or My Folder.  Add all of your events to the folder.  Review and clean folder at least once a year.

Be sure to include all of the required steps. Failure to add a start date, AllStaff category, or Publish will prevent the item from displaying in the calendar and/or event list.

1. On the green bar, click on Add new...
2. Select Event. [Add event panel will appear.  Complete the following fileds.]  
3. Title [required].  Type the the date & time of the event, followed by the event title: 
   
   • Example: 28 January 2010, 1:30-3:00 p.m.: Information Resources Forum
4. Description [best practice].  Type a short, but pithy description that indicates subject and audience.  
   
   • Example:"Quarterly meeting for subject librarians sponsored by the Information Resources Council."
5. Event Location [best practice].  Type where the event will take place, e.g. Odegaard Undergraduate Library, Room 220.  Avoid abbreviations.
6. Event Starts [required].  Select year, month, day, and time from pull-down menus.
7. Event Ends [required].  Select year, month, day, and time from pull-down menus.
8. Event body text [best practice].  Type text, e.g. agenda or a description of the activity or exhibit, etc.  Add pictures, links to relevant readings, etc.  Include audience, if not  indicated in description and/or Attendees.
9. Attendees [best practice].  Could include general public, UW faculty and staff, academic community, "all interested staff", subject librarians, committee members, etc.
10. Event type(s) [required]. On Existing Categories list, select AllStaff.  If event is of special interest to subject librarians, also select subject librarians.  This will post the event to the Subject Librarians' Portal. 
    
    • NEVER select allstaff (lowercase).
    • NEVER add new categories without prior approval from the Libraries Intranet Operations Group (LIOG).
    • TIP! To select more than one event list, click on name while holding down the Ctrl key.
11. Event URL [optional].  Type Web address.
12. Contact name [best practice].  Type name of individual/group responsible for the event or who can answer inquiries.
13. Contact email [best practice].  Type email address of individual/group noted above.
14. Contact phone [best practice].  Type phone number of individual/group noted above.
15. Change notes [optional].  If updating event, type information about the updated.  Info will be added to the history of event item.
16. Click Dates button (located above title) [best practice]. Under Expiration date, select year/day/time to remove event from publication (typically the date/time that the event is completed). 
    
    • NOTE! Expired events can be discovered by searching Staffweb while logged in.  To ensure that an outdated event can not be discovered, delete it or make it private.
17. Save [required].
18. Change state to Published [required].  
    
    • NEVER leave an event Private or Restricted.

For the technically savvy or just curious...

• Calendars displayed on the Staffweb homepage and throughout site are "calendar portlets."
• The events list located below the calendar portlet on the Staffweb homepage is an events "events portlet."
• The events displayed under the Events tab are in a "collection."
• The events list displayed on the Subject Librarians' Portal is a "collection portlet."