Request resources

[mevans]

The preferred way to do that is to create a calendar, possibly private so that the membership doesn't see it, and then place the event on that. Using the calendar reservation function to book a room is not a good method. It can easily lead to double-booking.

Thanks for the suggestion. I was thinking about it over the weekend and it seemed like we should have a stake calendar for some of these events. Maybe it's private, maybe it isn't. We have things like Boy Scout Council, Family History Center, etc. who need to make reservations.

I'm wondering how using a calendar reservation can lead to double-booking a room? The calendar doesn't permit double-booking reservations, so how could this happen?

[aebrown]

I'm wondering how using a calendar reservation can lead to double-booking a room? The calendar doesn't permit double-booking reservations, so how could this happen?

Using reservations doesn't lead to actual double booking, but it can lead to perceived double booking. Some building schedulers mistakenly think that creating a reservation will guarantee the room can't be used by anyone else. That's wrong for multiple reasons:

• If the reservation is anything but "Blocked" then any calendar editor in the assigned unit can schedule an event on top of the reservation.
• Even if the reservation is a "Blocked" reservation, another building scheduler (or the same building scheduler in a moment of forgetfulness) can put an event on top of the reservation.
• A building scheduler can put a reservation on top of an existing event and will get no warning.

[russellhltn]

I'm wondering how using a calendar reservation can lead to double-booking a room? The calendar doesn't permit double-booking reservations, so how could this happen?

• Reservations can only restrict what unit may schedule a room. Reservations can not limit it to a specific origination. So if you set up a reservation for the gym for Ward A's Relief Society, then Ward A's Elders Quorum can schedule a game of basketball on top of that reservation.
• Reservations can be created on top of conflicting events. Since reservations are frequently repeating, it doesn't make since that you must clear out all exceptions before creating or editing a "conflicting" reservation. You may not get a notice when creating a "conflicting" reservation. (But that feature has been requested.)
• Anyone with building scheduler rights can schedule an event on top of a reservation. They will receive no warning. Note that any member of the extended stake presidency can make themselves a building scheduler.

Bottom line: A reservation and a "conflicting" event can co-exist.

OTOH, except for a few bugs that were quickly stamped out, the system will never allow two events to schedule the same resource at the same time. So to avoid double-booking a room, always use events. Reservations is simply a tool to limit the events that can be scheduled. It was intended for things like "Wednesdays are Ward A's night and Thursdays are Ward B's night".

[mevans]

RussellHltn: Thank you very much. After your explanation I realize I've been using the terms reservation and resource interchangeably in my brain and that's why I was confused. This is probably because if I'm scheduling an event, I think that I want to reserve the cultural hall for the event. However, in proper calendar terms, I need to schedule an event and then select any rooms and equipment (i.e., resources) I need for my event. They are then "reserved" for the event, but it's not a calendar reservation.

I think I want to change the term reservations to scheduling rules or something like that.

[russellhltn]

In the forum, we use the term "book" when selecting a resource as part of a event. A number of us would like to see the calendar's reservation function renamed to something less confusing.

[aebrown]

I think I want to change the term reservations to scheduling rules or something like that.

In the thread Reservation terminology there was a strong consensus to change the term Reservation to Restriction.

[preston.baxter]

Our stake created a calendar used for scheduling the church farm "campground." Somehow it is set up so that ONLY one specific person ("scheduler" if you like) has access to create events, but everyone can see it. So apparently there are features already available for what you seem to be asking about?

[aebrown]

Our stake created a calendar used for scheduling the church farm "campground." Somehow it is set up so that ONLY one specific person ("scheduler" if you like) has access to create events, but everyone can see it. So apparently there are features already available for what you seem to be asking about?

In the help topic Managing Locations, there is a section titled "Make a Location Unschedulable"; that's a bit of a misleading title, since that technique does still allow building schedulers (there can be one or more) for that location to create events (assuming they have also been given calendar editor or administrator permissions). But no one else can schedule events, so it does configure that location as you described.