General Information about the MCAF Service Center

1. The service center tools are available during regular university business hours:
   Standard hours:  8:00am – 5:00pm
   Holidays, semester breaks, and summer:  7:30am – 4:00pm
   
   
2. Any researcher/Principle Investigator (PI)/group member who wishes to utilize the service center’s instruments and equipment must have a Billing Authorization Form on file which authorizes the service center to electronically bill for those services. PIs will assign a 3-letter code to their funding source. Contact Angie Evans for more information or with questions.
   
   
3. Reservations to use equipment are made using an online system called BookitLab. This system is also utilized for logging the equipment use time during a reservation. Users must select the appropriate 3-letter billing code for their reservation. Instructions for using BookitLab are below. Contact Angie Evans to get a BookitLab account setup or for questions about using it.
   
   
4. For some service center labs, users that are properly trained and will be frequent users of an instrument may be given card key access to that lab. In other cases, a temporary lab access card may be available for check-out during the reservation time.
   
   
5. Undergraduate students are not allowed to work unsupervised in the labs.

Primary Points of Contact

R1A Lab 1124, 1132, R2 Lab 152 and Class 100 Cleanroom
Greg Strommen
(o) 701-231-5339
greg.strommen@ndsu.edu

R2 Labs 112, 116, and Class 10,000 Cleanroom
Fred Haring
(o) 701-231-5336
frederik.haring@ndsu.edu

R1A Labs 1124, 1132, 1226, 1232, 1236, 1238, 1240 - Combinatorial Materials Research Labs
Jim Bahr
(o) 701-231-5927
james.bahr@ndsu.edu

General Service Center Operations Questions/Issues
Angie Evans
(o) 701-231-4188
angela.evans@ndsu.edu

Finance/Administrative
Angie Evans
(o) 701-231-4188
angela.evans@ndsu.edu

How to use Bookitlab

A username and a default password will be assigned and provided to you by e-mail. During your initial login you will be required to set a new password. Contact Angie Evans to get a BookitLab account.

Accessing Bookitlab options

• Desktop login
  (see instructions below)
  
  
• Mobile App
  Available in the Google Play Store and the Apple Store

Desktop login instructions

1.go to https://core.bookitlab.com/ndsu

2. In the left column, choose +Reservation

3. Search for your instrument. Begin by typing name of an instrument and then select the instrument when it appears.

4. Select the days and times you want to reserve the equipment and select your User Group, User and Billing Code. If you are a first time user, type “Need Training” in the remarks Comment box. Choose Save.

Considerations:

• If you have not yet been trained on an instrument, a training time will need to be coordinated with the appropriate MCAF staff. 
• If you are trained on an instrument but it is in a lab to which you don’t have access, a staff member will need to approve the reservation to confirm they’re available to let you in.
• If you are trained on an instrument and you have access to the lab, the reservation should be approved automatically.

5. Your successful reservation will show on the calendar.

6. To start your usage, go back to the main screen and choose Dashboard on the left side. A window will open on bottom right. Choose Start Usage to begin using the instrument.

Note: You cannot start your usage before your set reservation time and the Start Usage button will not appear until that time.

7. Once you have started usage, the Usage Screen will open. Choose Start Usage again.

8. When you have finished using the equipment go the main Bookitlab screen, find your name and equipment in the Currently Active Usages list and choose log off and Confirm.

NOTE: If your usage time is more than 30 minutes earlier than the time you are done using the instrument, go back to Reservations and modify your time. For example: You have reserved the instrument until 12:30pm, but you finish using it at 12:00pm.

This will provide additional time options for other users.

If you have any issues with the logged time that need to be corrected, discuss with MCAF staff as soon as possible - they can manually correct times if required.