Version 2.0 of the LDS.org calendar was released today. This version contains a number of new features that will be helpful to calendar editors and administrators. A few of these new features include the following:

• More intuitive interface for scheduling events and making reservations
• New administrative interface that provides better navigation through tabs
• More stability and better application performance

If you haven’t already transitioned to the new calendar, now is the perfect time since most wards and stakes are entering the 2012 planning period. With the inclusion of locations, privacy controls, and callings-based rights, the calendar is designed to meet the needs of wards and stakes.

Quick Reference Guides

You can print off quick reference guides for each role. These one-page guides are perfect for handing out in meetings to help members and leaders get started.

• Setup Guide
  
• Members Guide
  
• Editors Guide
  
• Building Schedulers Guide
  
• Ward Administrators Guide
  
• Stake Administrators Guide

Videos

The following three videos will also help members and leaders better understand how to use the calendar. Each video is about three minutes long and focuses on specific calendar tasks.

Introduction to the Calendar

Creating Calendars and Scheduling Events

Managing Locations

Release Notes

The following are the details of what’s new with the calendar. These release notes are divided into four sections: interface changes, functionality changes, terminology changes, and role changes.

NOTE: One of the notable updates is the inclusion of time zones with locations. Because of this update, all locations have been deactivated. Stake administrators need to reactivate the locations before calendar editors can schedule locations with their events again.

Interface Changes

• The calendar sidebar is now on the left rather than the right.
• Recurring events have an icon to indicate that they repeat.
• The administrative screens have been redesigned. You can now navigate from one screen to another through tabs across the top.
• Locations have a color icon next to them that matches events with that location reserved on the calendar.
• You can see the building scheduler information by clicking the down arrow next to location names.
• You can more easily browse location, room, and equipment reservations on the calendar so that you can check their availability.

Functionality Changes

• Locations now include settings for time zones.
• You can select all or hide all subscribed calendars with one click.
• Recurring events have more options to accommodate repeating patterns.
• You can schedule locations and rooms for private calendars.
• You can include padding time for set up and clean up around event times.
• You can add members by role when adding calendar editors or administrators.
• You can unsubscribe from calendars by clicking the down arrow next to the calendar name and selecting Unsubscribe.
• You can more conveniently change calendar colors by clicking the down arrow next to the calendar.
• Private calendars can schedule locations for their events.

Terminology Changes

• The term “approver” has changed to “administrator.”
• The term “resource” has changed to “rooms and equipment.”

Role Changes

• Building schedulers, as authorized by administrators, can reserve locations, rooms, and equipment for wards. However, administrators themselves cannot make these reservations (unless they add themselves as building schedulers).
• Reservations for wards and stakes (even blocked times) appear in the list of Available Locations, visible to every role.
• Everyone can see the Available Locations.
• Private event time blocks are visible, but the event says only “private event” and does not disclose the details of the event.

The calendar team continues to work on improvements for the calendar. There are a few limitations that are worth noting:

• E-mail notifications have been temporarily removed until they can be further tested.
• Church-wide events are not yet integrated into the calendar.
• The list of subscribed calendars is not in alphabetical order.
• You can only filter by location in the week view.

If you run into bugs or other quirks with the calendar, let us know by posting your feedback in the LDSTech Forum.