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When creating a new event from scratch you have the opportunity to create a single, one-off, event or a repeating event that occurs on each day set in the recurrence pattern for the event. Additionally, for repeating events that require registration, you have the option to activate a series-linked registration. When the series link option is active, a patron is only required to register once for all occurrences of the event.

As a reminder, in addition to creating new events from scratch, you can also copy existing events, create an event from a template, or from a Spaces booking.

Create a new repeating event

1. Click on Events from the command bar.
2. Click on the calendar's title from the Modify/View Calendar column on the Calendar List tab.

3. Click the Add New Event button. (Or, click on a day in the calendar to add a new event on that date.)

4. On the Add New Event modal, choose Create From Scratch from the dropdown.
5. Click the Create Event button.

This will take you to the Add Event page, where you can configure the event's details. See the sections below for info about the available options.

• Event Date/Time
  • In this section, learn how to specify the time of the event, add setup and teardown padding, and set up the recurrence pattern for the event.
• Title & Event Info
  • Learn how to give your event a title, description, friendly URL, featured image, and related guide from your LibGuides system.
• Event Details
  • Learn how to add equipment, select a campus, choose an organizer & presenters, and assign audiences, categories, and/or internal tags.
• Event Location (In-person and Online)
  • Learn how to select an in-person location, online location, or both for your event.
• Event Registration
  • Activate and customize event registration options for your event.
  • Check out this section for more info on series linked events, which allow users to register for all events in a recurring series at once (instead of every single occurrence of the event individually).
• Geolocation
  • If you added a Google Map box to your event page, learn how to customize the Google Map that displays for your event.
  • If you do not add a specific geolocation for your new event, the geolocation for the event's campus (if assigned) will be used.
  • If no campus is assigned, or the campus does not have a geolocation, the geolocation from your System Settings will be used.
• Attachments
  • Learn how to attach files to an event that attendees can download via the public event page.
• Social Media
  • Optionally, you can choose to announce your new event via email or a connected Twitter account.
• Publishing Status
  • Publish your event right away, save it as a draft, or submit it for review (if your calendar has the Publishing Workflow active).

Event Date/Time

1. Date: This is the date of the first occurrence of the repeating event. To change the date, click in the field and use the date picker to select a new one.
   • There is no limit on an event's start date. However, please note that LibCal will display a notification below the date field if you select a date in the past, or a date more than two years in the future.
2. Start Time: This is the time when the event will start.
   • Clicking in the field will launch a time picker.
3. End Time: This is the time when the event will end.
   • Clicking in the field will launch a time picker.
   • If the selected end time is before the start time, LibCal will assume that the event will end the following day.
     • For example, an event with a start time of 8:00 am and an end time of 5:00 am will be treated as starting at 8:00 am and ending at 5:00 am on the following day. 
4. Setup Padding: If you want to block off time before the event so you can set up for it, choose the desired amount of time from the dropdown.
   • This will ensure that the time is reserved in your chosen location, space, or room.
   • This padding will not display to the public—they will only see the event's actual start time.
5. Teardown Padding: If you want to block off time after the event so you can clean up, choose the desired amount of time from the dropdown.
   • This will ensure that the time is reserved in your chosen location, space, or room.
     • This padding will not display to the public—they will only see the event's actual end time.
6. All Day Event: If this is an event that will last the entire day, select this checkbox. 
   • Start Time and End Time fields cannot be set for an all-day event.
7. This Event Repeats: Select this checkbox to choose how often your event will be repeated:
   • Daily: The event will repeat every x day(s) until the End Date you specify.
     • The End Date cannot be more than 4 years from the Start Date.
   • Weekly: The event will repeat on the selected days of every x week(s) until the End Date you specify. 
     • The End Date cannot be more than 4 years from the Start Date.
   • Monthly: The event will repeat on either a specific day or day of the week every x month(s) until the End Date you specify. 
     • The End Date cannot be more than 4 years from the Start Date.
   • Multi-Date Picker: This allows you to choose specific dates when the event will occur.
     • Note: You cannot use this option if you are creating an online event.
8. If you have linked your calendar to a library or department from your Hours module, LibCal will check the event's date(s) and times against the library/department's hours.
   • If there are no conflicts, then you'll see a success message.
   • Otherwise, LibCal will let you know if your event falls outside of the library or department's schedule for the selected date(s) and times

Title & Event Info

1. Event Title: This is the title of the event, which will display prominently on the calendar and in any notification emails.
2. Event Description: This is optional, but gives you the opportunity to write up a description of the event.
   • Use the rich text editor to add styles and images, too!
3. More Information About This Event: If you'd like to include additional info about the event, but don't want to include it in the description, you can add it here.
   • This will display on the event's page, below the description and registration (if active).
4. Featured Image URL: You can upload an image to go along with the event, such as a logo, book cover art, or picture of the library. It will display next to the title and event details on the public calendar and event pages.
   • Click on the Upload Image button to upload an image from your computer. Images uploaded using this method are not stored in your Image Manager library.
   • Click on the Launch Image Manager button to upload or select an image from your LibApps Image Manager libraries. This is recommended if you plan to reuse this image again later.
   • For best results, images should be no larger than 200px x 200px. 
5. Related LibGuide: If you also subscribe to LibGuides, you can include a link to a guide that is related to your event.
6. Friendly URL: If you'd like to customize the URL to your event's public page, enter a Friendly URL (aka slug) for it.
   • The friendly URL will appear at the end of your calendar's URL, which is displayed in the Friendly URL field for your convenience.
   • Use only letters, numbers, hyphens, or underscores. Spaces and special characters are not allowed.
   • Friendly URLs are case-sensitive, so we recommend using only lowercase letters.
   • Friendly URLs must be unique. If the nickname you entered is in use by another event, an alert message will notify you when saving your event.

Event Details

1. Equipment: Select one or more items from your Equipment Module.
   • When you create your event, this will create a booking for the item(s) which is linked to the event.
     • If the event is modified, the booking will be updated accordingly.
     • A maximum of 20 items can be selected.
   • This option will only be visible for systems that subscribe to the module. 
     • If you do not currently subscribe to the Equipment booking module, you can contact our Springy Sales Team about a quote and free trial today!
2. Library Campus*: If your admin has set a Multiple Sites Label in your Campus & Location Settings, this will allow you to choose which library, branch, campus, etc. where the event will be held. This is useful if you are part of a multi-library system.
   • * This field's name is actually set by your admin, so it may not say "Library Campus" as it does in this example.
   • This field will not appear if your admin has not set a multiple sites label.
3. Event Organizer: This is the person who "owns" this event.
   • By default, you will automatically be listed as the organizer when you create an event. However, you can select someone else to be an organizer, too.
   • Depending upon your group's permissions, only the event organizer, calendar owner, or admin can modify an event.
4. Presenter: If someone else will be presenting or running the event, you can enter their name(s) here.
   • If that person has a LibCal user account, click on the Select Presenter () button to select them.
5. Audiences: Assigning audiences to your events can help patrons find events best suited for them. 
   • Not seeing the Audiences field? That means no audience types have been added to your system.
   • Unlike categories, only admins can add new audiences.
6. Anticipated Attendance: Enter the number of attendees you expect for this event.
   • Although optional, you can compare this to the actual attendance entered after the event in your event and calendar stats.
7. Category: Assigning categories to your events is a helpful way to keep your events organized. When browsing your calendar, both you and your patrons can filter events by category to make them easier to find.
   • The category you need not listed? Select Add New Category from the list to create one on the fly.
   • Each category has a name and assigned color.
   • The color of the event will default to the first category you select.
8. Color: If you'd like to change the color of the event on the calendar, choose from one of the preset color icons or add the hex code for a custom color.
9. Internal Tags: These optional tags provide a way to classify your events for internal statistics and data-gathering purposes, and are never shown to the public.
   • When events have been tagged with internal tags, you’ll be able to filter all statistical reports and booking explorer pages by the added tags.
10. Internal Note: This field allows you to record a note about the event, which won't be displayed to the public.
    • This can be helpful if you want to leave instructions for other collaborators, a to-do list for setting up the event, a presenter's contact info, or other helpful information.

Event Location (In-person and/or Online)

When selecting the location for your event, you can choose to host your event at an in-person location, an online location, or both if you're hosting a hybrid event (in-person and online together).

1. In-Person Location/Space: Use this section to choose the physical location for your event. If creating a hybrid event, select the location for the onsite portion of the event.
   • Select one or more onsite/in-person locations where the event will take place from the In-Person Location/Space field. You can choose from:
     • Any location added to your Campus & Location Settings.
     • Any space from your Spaces Module. When you create your event, this will create a booking for that room that is linked to the event. If the event is modified, the booking will be automatically updated accordingly.
     • Whichever you select, LibCal will check and make sure that the chosen location or room is available. A status message will appear letting you know, that way you don't accidentally create a double booking!
     • If activated in the calendar settings, you can choose multiple locations or rooms for each event. This is especially helpful if you are using both halves of a divided room.
   • Leave this field blank for online-only events.
2. Online Location: Use this section to choose the online location for your event. If creating a hybrid event, select the location for the online portion of the event. You can choose from:
   • Online Event via Zoom/Teams/Webex: Enter the details for your online meeting provider.
     • This option is only available if you have activated an online meeting integration for your system—Zoom, Teams, or Webex.
     • Your event must have registration set to required to select this option.
   • Online Event via Facebook Live (or other): Enter the Event URL that will be used to host the event, and the Password/PIN if one is required.
     • Events that do not require registration will display the Event URL on the public event page.
     • Events that require registration will not display the Event URL on the public page—it will be sent in the confirmation email.
     • When a Password/PIN is added, the event must have registration set to required. 

Event Registration

When setting up a repeating event that attendees will be required to register for, you are able to configure the total number of registrations, the cost of attending, when registration opens and closes, whether or not all of the occurrences of the event are part of a series that only requires the patron to register once, and more.

1. Registration is Required: If you want attendees to register in order to attend the event, select this checkbox.
   • A series of additional options will display, allowing you to fully customize the registration process.
2. Maximum In-Person Registrations and Maximum Online Registrations: Enter the maximum number of people who can attend the event in-person and/or online. Once the number is reached, registration will be closed unless you have the waiting list active, someone cancels, or you increase the number of seats.
   • For events that are only being hosted in-person, the online registrations field will be deactivated.
   • For events that are only being hosted online, leave the in-person registrations field blank or set with 0 registrations.
   • For hybrid events, you are required to input the maximum number of registrations for each.
3. Registration Form: Choose which registration form you want attendees to fill out in order to register for the event.
   • You can choose from the default form, which just asks for the user's name and email address.
   • Or, you can use a customized registration form, which can include questions for gathering additional info from the attendees.
4. Activate LibAuth Authentication: If your LibApps admin has set up LibAuth in LibApps, you can choose whether or not to require attendees to authenticate before being able to register for an event.
   • This is a great way to restrict registration to current members of your institution.
   • If LibAuth has not been set up by your LibApps admin, then you will not see this option.
5. Registrations Open: Choose when you want to allow people to start registering for your event.
   • You can choose to open up registration immediately or a certain number of hours/days/weeks before the event starts.
   • Note: Recurring events can not be set with a Custom Date/Time for when the registration will open. You can adjust the open registration date for individual occurrences of the post-creation, from the Edit Event screen.
6. Registrations Close: Choose when you want to close the registration process for the event.
   • You can choose to close registration when the event starts, ends, or a certain number of hours/days/weeks before the event starts.
7. Event Cost: If there is a charge to attend this event, enter the cost per registration here.
8. Allow Multiple Attendees Within a Single Registration: When this option is active, a person can indicate that additional guests will be joining them.
   • These additional guests will count against the maximum number of seats.
9. Allow a Waiting List When Fully Booked: When this option is active, a waiting list will become available once the maximum number of seats has been filled.
   • If a registrant cancels, then the first person on the waiting list will automatically be registered for the event.
10. BCC Confirmation Email: If you'd like to BCC certain email addresses on each registration confirmation email, enter them here.
    • Separate multiple email addresses with a comma.
11. Series link registration: You can opt to link all of the events in the series to a single registration.
    • When selected, a registrant will be registered for all future events in the series with just one registration.
    • When this option is not selected, patrons must register for each event separately.
12. Allow registration until the last event in series: When an event is a recurring event and the Series link registration is active, you can also opt to keep the registration open until the last event in the series.
    • When this option is not selected, the registration will close with the first occurrence of the event—based on the date and time for the Registrations Close setting.
13. Send Email Reminder: You can choose to send an automated reminder email to all registrants.
    • When active, you can choose how soon before the event to send the reminder. You can also customize the subject and body of the email, as well.
    • The email subject and body can include tags, which insert information from the event into the email.
      • Click on the Template Instructions button to see which tags are available. Learn more about customizing a calendar's email templates.
    • Select the Reset to Default Calendar Template button at any time to change the email template back to the default.
      • This can be useful when copying an event or using an event template.
14. Send Follow-Up Email/Survey: You can choose to send an automated follow-up email to all registrants after the event ends.
    • When active, you can choose how soon after the event to send the reminder. You can also customize the subject and body of the email, as well.
    • The email subject and body can include tags, which insert information from the event into the email.
      • Click on the Template Instructions button to see which tags are available. Learn more about customizing a calendar's email templates.
    • If you subscribe to LibWizard, you can insert a link to a survey. Click on the  Insert LibWizard Survey button and choose the survey you want to insert.
      • This is a great way to gather feedback about your event!
      • This option will not display if you do not subscribe to LibWizard.
    • Select the Reset to Default Calendar Template button at any time to change the email template back to the default. This is useful when copying an event or using an event template.

Geolocation

1. Manually specify a Geolocation for this event: Select this checkbox if you want to enter a specific geolocation for this event.
   • Otherwise, LibCal will use the geolocation of the campus assigned to your event.
   • If no campus is assigned, or the campus does not have geolocation coordinates, then the geolocation from your System Settings will be used.
2. Google Place ID: This allows you to display your location as a marker on Google Maps. (If you enter a Place ID, the latitude and longitude fields will be inactive.)
   • Not sure what your library's Place ID is? You can look it up using Google's Place ID Finder.
3. Latitude and Longitude: If you are not using a Google Place ID, enter your location's latitude and longitude coordinates.
   • Not sure how to find these? Go to Google Maps and look up your location. Then, right-click on it and select "What's Here" to view the latitude and longitude for that point.
   • Unlike when using a Place ID, your location will not be indicated by a marker on the Google Map. Rather, the map will display centered on your location.
4. After you enter either a Place ID or latitude & longitude, the Google Map Preview will show you how the map will appear on your event pages.

Attachments

You can attach up to 5 files (maximum size per file is 20MB) to an event. Each file will be listed on the public event page, allowing attendees to download them directly. This can be helpful for sharing things like worksheets, flyers, agendas, questionnaires, articles, book lists—well, you get the idea. :)

1. Click the Attach file button to select and upload a file from your computer.
2. To download a file, click on the file name link.
3. To remove a file, click on the trash can () icon next to its file name.

Social Media

1. Send a New Event Announcement: If you'd like, you can choose to send an announcement email to specific email addresses. This is a great way to advertise and promote your event! Once selected, additional options will appear allowing you to customize the email.
2. Email Addresses: Enter the email address(es) of the people you want to send the announcement to.
   • Separate multiple email addresses with a comma.
3. Announcement Email Subject: Customize the subject line of the email.
4. Announcement Email Body: Customize the body text of the email. Both the subject and body can include tags, which insert information from the event into the email.
   • Click on the Template Instructions button to see which tags are available.
5. Send Tweet: Select this option to share your new event on Twitter. This option will appear if you've connected to a Twitter account in your calendar's Social Media settings.
6. Twitter Template: Customize the text of your tweet. This can contain a {{TITLE}} and {{EVENT_URL}} tag for inserting the event's title and event page URL.
   • Use the Preview to see how your published tweet will look.

Publishing Status

This is where you can choose to save a draft of your event (to edit later) or publish it to your public calendar. These options will be different depending on whether or not the Publishing Workflow has been activated by the calendar owner or an admin.

With the Publishing Workflow off

1. Use the Status dropdown to select your status.
   • Unpublished Draft: This will save your event, but will not publish it to your calendar. Events with this status are hidden from the public until you publish them.
   • Published: This will save your event and publish it to your calendar. If this is a public calendar, then patrons will be able to see the event when viewing your calendar and it will be included in widgets, RSS feeds, etc.
2. Click on the Submit: Add New Event button. 

With the Publishing Workflow active

1. Use the Status dropdown to select your status.
   • Unpublished Draft: This will save your event, but will not publish it to your calendar. Events with this status are hidden from the public until they are published by a designated reviewer.
   • Submit for Review: When the Publishing Workflow is active, new events can only be published by a designated reviewer. Once you are ready to publish your event, you can submit it for review. This will save your changes and notify all of the reviewers that your event is ready for review—at which point they can log into LibCal, look over the event, and publish it. Until it's published, the event will not be viewable by the public.
2. If you'd like to send along a note to the reviewers, enter it into the Message to Reviewers text field.
3. Click on the Submit: Add New Event button.