Resource calendars are Google calendars that track the availability of PSU campus resources such as conference rooms, classrooms, or other meeting spaces, or for other shared resources like equipment or vehicles.
Shared calendars differ from resource calendars in that they’re not used to track and manage the availability of shared resources, instead, they can be used to track things like team reminders and events.
If you’re unsure which type of calendar you need, it's usually best to start with a Shared calendar - refer to the following table for more information.
You can view and manage your calendars through the Google Calendar web interface.
Table of Contents
Resource Calendars versus Shared Calendars
The following table breaks down the primary differences between Resource and Shared calendars:
Difference | Resource Calendar | Shared Calendar |
|---|---|---|
Who creates the calendar | OIT | Everyone can create Shared calendars |
Who manages the calendar | Calendar owners | Calendar owners |
Who can see the calendar | By default, anyone at PSU, but calendar owners can customize the calendar's viewers | Calendar owners determine the calendar's viewers |
Who can create or change calendar events | By default, anyone at PSU, but calendar owners can customize the calendar's permissions | Calendar owners determine the calendar's editors |
Where is the calendar visible | Can be found through the “find a room/location” dialog when creating a meeting in Google Calendar | Visible to those they're shared with, in Google Calendar's calendar list |
Example calendar use cases |
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Request a New Resource Calendar or Create a Shared Calendar
Resource Calendar
To request a resource calendar, first verify it doesn't already exist by creating a new event and browsing through the list of resources. Resource calendars show up in the same public list as Rooms. If no calendar exists for the resource, you can complete the Resource calendar support form to request a new calendar.
A note about Resource Calendar names
Resource calendars are named using what Google calls structured resource naming. This results in a consistent naming pattern for all newly created Resource calendars. Their names take this format:
[building]-[floor]-[room number]-[room name] ([room capacity]) [Audio and video features]
Here is an example room name using that format:
FAB-2-285A-OIT Jump Space (1) [Projector]
Shared Calendar
On the other hand, if you want to create a calendar that’s not tied to a physical location, like an attendance calendar for your department or a calendar to schedule events for your team, you can create a Shared Calendar.
Set Calendar Permissions
You can configure any calendar with varying levels of access, including who can view the calendar and who can schedule events on it. You must have the permission level of Make changes and manage sharing in the calendar’s sharing settings to manage access to your calendar. For more information about sharing settings, reference Google’s Share Your Calendar with Someone support article.