Thanks to Anthony G. White at Bay Area Legal Aid for sharing his public folder calendar tips!

1. Use Labels: Outlook comes with ten labels. The number and color of the labels cannot be changed, but the text that is associated with each label can be changed. The values that are associated with the labels are listed below. This becomes important when you change the text on a label but want to use it to filter and create an alternate view. You won't see the alternate text you've assigned to each label, you'll see the default, noted below. Using labels lets folks "see" certain items even on a full calendar, and using Custom Views, and labels as a filter, one can then just view 1 or more label items instead of ALL items.

Outlook's default calendar labels:

• RED = IMPORTANT
• BLUE = BUSINESS
• GREEN = PERSONAL
• BEIGE = VACATION
• GOLD = MUST ATTEND
• LT. BLUE = TRAVEL REQUIRED
• LT. GREEN = NEEDS PREPARATION
• PURPLE = BIRTHDAY
• GREEN = ANNIVERSARY
• YELLOW = PHONE CALL

Examples of alternative labels:

• Substantive Legal Areas: Family, Public Benefits, Housing, Health
• Meeting
• Court or Admin Hg
• Training
• Vacation

2. Use Conventions in subject lines:

• Use initials for staff as first item in subject lines that are tied to them
• Be consistent with abbreviations, and use abbreviations. There is limited screen real estate so condensing makes sense, but spelling needs to be the same.
• Be careful and consistent with what comes first on subject line.

3. Use Flags: There are 6 different flag colors that can be assigned to different types of times, staff, types of appointments, etc. Not only are they visible on the normal calendar view, but then they can be used to create and use different Views of the calendar. Flags can be attached to any folder item, and can be sued when you send or create an item OR when you receive or use an item.

4. Use Customized Views: We look at any of the folders (parts) of Outlook using one or another view. Views are just ways to look at some of the data that we have in any folder at any moment in time. ALL of the data that we have in a Mail InBox or Contact folder or on a Calendar is always on/in the folder, but it becomes more useful at times to just VIEW SOME of that data. Outlook has a very powerful ability to let you create customized views and attach them to any folder.

EXAMPLE: Creating a view based on initials that start a subject line:

• (alt) View, Arrange By, Current View, Customize Current View OR Define Views
• New, Table (you can also choose other forms of viewing = timeline, typical Day/Month/year, etc.)
• Window of all of the ways to create and change Views:

• Fields
• Group By
• Sort
• Filter
• Other settings
• Automatic Formatting
• Format Column

• Choose Filter, Subject Line, "Staff Initials"
• Apply View

5. Setting up Meetings off of Public Folders:

• Use Plan A Meeting icon/menu
• Similar to Meeting Request menu/form that one uses from a private Calendar
• Set details of the meeting content, then add participants.
• Once Make Meeting is pressed, the meeting is set on the public folder, and the meeting is put onto the participants private calendars.