The Lincoln County News website, LincolnCountyNewsOnline.com, has added a completely new calendar section designed to be easier and more efficient for both readers and those inputting calendar listings.
“We built this section from the bottom up in response to reader and user comments about our old online calendar section, and what they would like to see in our new one,” said Greg Latimer, special projects coordinator for Lincoln County Publishing Co. “Moreover, since we built it ourselves, we can make improvements or additions anytime it becomes necessary.”
The calendar section was produced and designed by Kathy Lizotte of The Lincoln County News and Cheryl Crummett of Sunnyside Website Design in Newcastle.
For readers it features a simple calendar graphic for each month of the year with listed items highlighted on the dates they are occurring. Readers can learn more about an item with just one left click to the highlighted area, taking them to a window with detailed information on the event. A “back” click on the browser returns the reader the calendar graphic.
For additional convenience to the reader there is a listing of activities for the current week located just below the calendar graphic.
Also located below the calendar graphic is the option to “Add New Event,” the link that takes the user to a template where they can enter the information on their event to be posted on LincolnCountyNewsOnline.com.
“We’ve made this section as straightforward as possible, but there is one important point for users to remember,” Latimer advised. “Our calendar section references items by a singular date, so if users have an event that occurs on more than one date they should make a separate entry for each date of the event.”
The LincolnCountyNewsOnline.com calendar is open to anyone with an event in the Lincoln County area, and the listings are free of charge. “Those events can be non-profit or for profit, with some exceptions,” Latimer said. “Businesses listing items like sales may not make it through our editors; however special events such as anniversaries are generally welcome… We have to evaluate listings on a case by case basis, but we try to include everything we can.”
Traditionally the LincolnCountyNewsOnline.com calendar has included businesses with activities such as classes, excursions and other items that would be of general interest.
During the summer season Lincoln County Magazine relies on the LincolnCountyNewsOnline.com calendar listings for the magazine’s popular calendar section. “The Lincoln County Magazine calendar section will list any event from the LincolnCountyNewsOnline.com calendar listings that is located in Lincoln County,” Latimer said. “We may not be able to fit all the text associated with the event into the limited space of the magazine, but if a user out there takes the time to list their appropriate event, we will take the time to make sure it gets published.”
The lead times for Lincoln County Magazine are long, about 90 days prior to publication, so Latimer encourages users to post their listings as soon as they have basic information and then include a link to a website that readers can go to for more detailed or developing information.
Latimer also notes that listings may be entered up to 364 days prior to the event date, so users can use this to their advantage. “Remember, people planning their vacations for this summer are probably already checking the online calendar listings to help plan their stay… The sooner your listing is up, the more people will see it,” Latimer said.
Set deadlines for listings in the Lincoln County Magazine calendar section will be released soon.
Anyone with comments or questions about the LincolnCountyNewsOnline.com calendar is invited to contact Latimer personally at 380-9912 or greglatimer@yahoo.com.
