Reservations
After training, users are issued with usernames and passwords that allow them to use the Faces Scheduling System to reserve time on the microscopes. They will also be added to the lmcb-lm-users@ucl.ac.uk mailing list so they can be alerted to and alert all other users of the LMCB microscopes to free slots on the machines. Enter the correct Group name into the Faces interface (e.g. MRCLMCB_LSM) then login with your username and password. Each microscope is selectable as a resource in the Faces system. Users will have access to only those resources for which they have been trained. Each resource has associated limitations, such as the amount of time users can book over a two-week period and the number of reservations allowed for each user per day. Use the arrow buttons to scroll to earlier or later parts of the day that are not shown in the standard calendar view
Try using the Clear button if you encounter any problems when trying to book a slot or slots.
The General Booking Rules apply to all microscopes on the Faces Scheduling System. For microscopes with their own booking rules (e.g. the Vox) the relevant microscope specific rules will override the general rules.
General Booking Rules
- All microscopes MUST be booked before use; even if this means booking immediately before use. The Faces system can be accessed from the confocal microscopes computers, so a reservation can be made from the microscope system before the start of a session if necessary.
- The system will not allow you to reserve an appointment if the start time has already passed. If you cannot reserve time because of this, reserve whatever time you subsequently require for the current session.
- If you have reserved time on a microscope, but you know you will not be able use it, you MUST delete the reservation from the Faces system before the start of the reserved time.
- If you cancel your slot less than 2 hours before it is due to begin you MUST alert whoever is using the machine before you. You can do this by sending an email to lmcb-lm-users@ucl.ac.uk, or by directly contacting the person involved. This is to prevent the machine being left on by users who still think you are going to use it. An email to lmcb-lm-users@ucl.ac.uk will also alert potential users to the free slot.
- Whenever you finish or cancel your session you must find out if anyone has reserved a slot after you. You may have received an email with this information, but you must still check the Faces system. This must be done at the end of the time you reserved, if possible.
- If more than three hours will elapse between the end of your reserved time and the beginning of the next reserved slot you must shut the machine down, even if it is early in the day. This should be done after you use your slot or, if you do not want to use the slot, immediately after you cancel it.
- If you want to cancel your reservation after the start of your time slot, or if you finish more than an hour early, you should send an email to lmcb-lm-users@ucl.ac.uk alert others. You are responsible for shutting the machine down if there are no users booked after you for three hours. Note that the booking system does not allow you to delete slots that have already begun.
The above rules are designed to preserve the life of the confocal systems; particularly the lasers. Failure to observe the rules will result in a warning email. If a user continues to leave the machines on, the user will be sin binned and booking privileges will be removed; initially for one week but increasing to two weeks, three weeks etc. if the problem continues. Warnings and sin binnings will elapse after six months if there have been no more infringements.
Additional Microscope Specific Booking Rules
SP5 - Each user is allowed to book 4 slots per day and a total of 12 slots over a two week period. Slots cannot be booked more than two weeks in advance. The length of a slot varies depending on the time of day. Between 9am and 6pm Monday to Friday the length of a single slot is 1 hour. At all other times it is 2 hours. Consecutive booking is allowed at all times but slots must be booked individually. For example, 4 hours must be booked as 4 x 1 hour.
SPE - Each user is allowed to book 24 slots over a two week period. Slots cannot be booked more than two weeks in advance. The length of a slot varies depending on the time of day. Between 9am and 6pm Monday to Friday the length of a single slot is 1 hour. At all other times it is 3 hours. Consecutive booking is allowed at all times but slots must be booked individually. For example, 4 hours must be booked as 4 x 1 hour.
SPE2 - The booking policy for SPE2 is broadly the same as for the SPE except that booking is restricted to 2 slots per user per day, and 20 slots per user per two week window. This is to ensure that users who need shorter time slots to image fixed samples are not kept off the machine by long time-lapse experiments
SPE3 - A total of 15 sessions can be booked over a two week window, 3 sessions a day. During peak time a session is 60 minutes long, off peak it is 120 minutes. Consecutive booking is allowed, but all slots must be booked individually.
Radiance - Users can book up to 24 slots per two-week period. The number of slots that can be booked per user per day is currently unrestricted.
Vox - The Vox has extensive additional rules because of the particular requirements of live imaging and time-lapse. See this PDF
GFP time-lapse microscopes 1 & 2 - The GFP time-lapse microscopes have extensive additional rules because of the particular requirements of live imaging and time-lapse. See this PDF