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Billy1992's avatar
Billy1992
Copper Contributor
Oct 30, 2023

Public calendar for scheduling a public home/space

Hi all,

 

My facility is setting up a home for all staff to be able to use. We have an administrator handling all of the scheduling, but we would like to make the calendar public for viewing purposes only and assign editing privileges to said administrator.

 

What would be the best way of handling this? Basic Outlook shared calendars are currently not an option as half of the users are using different versions of Outlook and there are issues with calendar sharing.

 

I can create a shared mailbox, but I don't know exactly how to manage permissions (as far as I know everyone will have calendar edit privileges). I saw something regarding a resource mailbox, but just wanted to check here and see if that is relevant to my request.

 

I'm an exchange admin but have essentially zero experience in exchange, so if there's something I should be doing on my end, I would really appreciate some guidance.

 

Thank you!

  • LeonPavesic's avatar
    LeonPavesic
    Silver Contributor

    Hi Billy1992,

    you can use a resource mailbox for a shared calendar in Exchange:

     

    1. Access the Exchange Admin Center (EAC):

    - Log in to your Exchange server's EAC using administrator credentials.

    2. Create a Resource Mailbox:

    - In the EAC, go to "Recipients" and select "Resources" from the left-hand menu.

    - Click the "+" (New) button to create a new resource mailbox.

    3. Configure the Resource Mailbox:

    - In the "New Resource Mailbox" wizard, provide the following information:

    - **Mailbox Type:** Select "Room mailbox" for a shared calendar.

    - **Name:** Assign a meaningful name for the resource mailbox, such as "Facility Calendar."

    - **Email Address:** Specify the email address for the resource mailbox, e.g., email address removed for privacy reasons.

    - **Capacity (Optional):** If applicable, set the capacity (usually not relevant for shared calendars).

    4. Set Booking Options and Policies:

    - Configure additional settings based on your requirements:

    - **Scheduling Options:** Define booking policies for the calendar, such as whether requests require approval or are automatically accepted.

    - **Booking Window:** Specify how far in advance users can book the resource.

    - **Booking Delegates (Optional):** If needed, assign one or more users as delegates who can manage the resource's calendar.

    5. Save and Complete:

    - After configuring the settings, click "Save" to create the resource mailbox.

    6. Configure Permissions:

    - Now, you can set permissions for the resource mailbox. Assign viewing or editing privileges to users as necessary.

    7. Access the Resource Calendar:

    - Users can add the resource calendar to their own Outlook profiles or access it through Outlook on the web (OWA) or other email clients supporting Exchange calendars. They will be able to book, view, or edit events on the resource calendar based on their assigned permissions.

     

    By implementing a resource mailbox, you can effectively manage a shared calendar for your facility, allowing centralized scheduling and avoiding conflicts.

    Create and manage resource mailboxes - Exchange | Microsoft Learn

    Please click Mark as Best Response & Like if my post helped you to solve your issue.
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    Kindest regards,


    Leon Pavesic
    (LinkedIn)

    • Billy1992's avatar
      Billy1992
      Copper Contributor
      Hi there,

      Thank you so much for the response and keeping it so detailed! I ended up making a resource mailbox and I was having an issue because anytime a booking would be requested, it would immediately approve it (assuming there was availability). I was hoping to set it up so it would require administrator approval prior to accepting the request. Is this possible?

      Thank you again!

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