On Bowen, we often rely on Facebook to see what’s happening and get the word out about local events. So why go to the new Community Calendar to see what’s happening on Bowen? Why should Bowen Islanders post their events there?
Facebook is a useful tool, but unlike Facebook, the Community Calendar is:
- Accessible & always available – you don’t need a Facebook account to see it or submit your event
- Private – it does not track you, nor harvest and sell your personal data
No advertising – you don’t see ads, just events! - One Place – no need to scroll and search multiple Facebook groups or profiles for the event
- Easy to navigate – scroll through Photo or List view, or look at the entire month in Month view.
- Searchable – find the events you want to see. No more scrolling forever to find that one event posted in a group. Use the Search function or browse the events.
- Visible on your personal calendar – for any event, event series, or for the whole calendar, you can make it show on your personal calendar by dowloading a calendar file — just click “Subscribe to calendar”
- Supported by human staff – Library staff are available to help you if you encounter any trouble posting to the calendar.
Email Template — Help Us Promote the Community Calendar
Feel free to copy and paste the text below into an email to friends and event planners, to help promote the Community Calendar. Or post it on social media!
***
Hello [Recipient’s Name],
I thought you might like to know about the Community Calendar, which lives on the Bowen Island Library website – ( bipl.ca/cal is the shareable short link. )
It’s a great place to see upcoming events on Bowen Island, submitted to the calendar by members of the public, groups, businesses, and organizations on Bowen. It’s easy to browse and search events there, no endless scrolling required!
If you are hosting an event, it’s a free, accessible place to advertise. Anyone, including people who are not on Facebook, can see your event details there.
Once it’s published on the calendar, you get a shareable URL/web address for your event posting that you can share via email or on social media, and anyone who clicks on that link can see all the details of your event.
When you post your event on the calendar, it can help others avoid scheduling conflicts when planning their events.
You can submit your event here. There is an info page with a handy instructional video if needed. Staff at the Library review and approve it, then it’s on the calendar. They are also happy to help over the phone, in person, or over email.
Thank you for considering using the Community Calendar—a free, accessible, community-led online calendar for Bowen Island.
All the best,
[Your Name]
***