IT-4-P-6037 BASE – a web based, open source solution for microscope reservation and accounting

Central electron microscopy facilities often are responsible for all microscopes and peripheral devices such as sample preparation and analysis equipment at a University. Usually, central facilities are also responsible for the distribution of microscope time to other scientists, institutes or departments and they generally charge an hourly fee for microscope usage and for providing other services. Several scheduling systems, which were available at the time this project was initiated, offered only reservation features or were lacking at least one or more important requirements for accounting, such as project management or cost separation. Therefore, a new system for booking and accounting for microscope time has been developed and introduced at Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH) to reduce administrative burden. This new system is called BASE (Booking and Accounting System for Electron Microscopy) and is based on PHP and MySQL. It offers the following main features: Project management, project-based booking of microscope time, redistribution of microscope time to one or more projects after usage, setting caps on expenses, customer accounts with balance history, timelines (versatile categorization and accessibility of microscope time), automatically expiring microscope access (to enforce regular safety briefings), download area, invoice management etc. Therefore, BASE should fit most needs of central electron microscopy facilities in academic environments. It soon will be available as a web-based, open source solution.