Equipment Booking

Shared instruments are a valuable and often contested resource in research labs. AcaTrove's equipment booking system lets lab members schedule time on shared instruments, avoid conflicts, and organize equipment into categories and smart groups for efficient management.

Adding Equipment

Before equipment can be booked, it must be registered in the system.

1. Open your lab and navigate to the Equipment tab.
2. Click Add Equipment.
3. Fill in the details:
   • Name -- The instrument's name (e.g., "Confocal Microscope," "NMR Spectrometer").
   • Category -- Select an existing category or create a new one (e.g., Microscopy, Spectroscopy, Computing).
   • Location -- Where the equipment is physically located.
   • Description -- Any relevant details such as model number, capabilities, or usage restrictions.
   • Booking Rules -- Set minimum and maximum booking durations, advance booking limits, and whether back-to-back bookings are allowed.
4. Click Save.

The equipment appears in the lab's equipment list and is available for booking.

Booking Equipment

1. In the Equipment tab, find the instrument you need and click Book.
2. Select a date and time on the scheduling calendar.
3. Specify the duration of your booking.
4. Add an optional note describing what you will use the equipment for.
5. Click Confirm Booking.

Your booking appears on the shared calendar, visible to all lab members. If a time slot is already reserved, it is blocked and cannot be double-booked.

Equipment scheduling calendar showing bookings across a week

Equipment Categories

Categories help organize equipment by function or type. Default categories might include Microscopy, Spectroscopy, Chromatography, Computing, and General. Custom categories can be created from the Equipment tab by clicking Manage Categories.

Categories serve as filters on the equipment list and calendar. If your lab has dozens of instruments, filtering by category lets you quickly find what you need.

Smart Groups

Smart groups are saved collections of equipment that you frequently book together. For example, a "Western Blot Setup" smart group might include the gel electrophoresis unit, power supply, and imaging system. A "Sequencing Workflow" group might include the library prep station and the sequencer.

To create a smart group:

1. In the Equipment tab, click Smart Groups.
2. Click New Smart Group.
3. Give the group a name and select the equipment to include.
4. Save.

When you book a smart group, AcaTrove shows availability across all included instruments simultaneously, helping you find a time slot when everything you need is available.

Smart groups interface showing grouped equipment sets

Managing Bookings

Lab managers and PIs have additional controls:

• View all bookings -- See a consolidated calendar of all equipment bookings across the lab.
• Cancel bookings -- Remove bookings made by any lab member, with an optional notification explaining the reason.
• Recurring bookings -- Set up weekly or biweekly reservations for equipment needed on a regular schedule.
• Booking history -- Review past bookings for utilization reporting or to resolve disputes.

Tips

• Set reasonable booking durations. If an instrument is in high demand, shorter maximum booking windows give more people access.
• Use smart groups for multi-step protocols that require sequential access to several instruments.
• Review the booking calendar at the start of each week to plan your experimental schedule around equipment availability.
• Add usage notes to your bookings so other lab members know what the equipment is being used for and can coordinate if needed.