As noticed by MIT.nano users and staff, the MLA-150s have been incredibly booked, but the usage history is not reflecting this demand. It appears people are planning (or estimating) way in advance and either forgetting or not caring about their reservation.
This is frustrating to all and hinders everyone's research progress. As such, MIT.nano staff have established reservation limits of six hours total for prime time (8 a.m. – 9 p.m.) and a maximum of four upcoming reservations. In the past, a similar approach helped make the Elionix reservations more fair and available to more users. We expect that after some time it will accomplish the same for the MLAs.
If you have a special need that requires tool time beyond these limits, contact us at mitnano-feedback@mit.edu and we can discuss and reserve on your behalf. Please avoid tricks and games, as it infuriates other users.
MIT.nano staff will periodically review data of actual usage vs. reservations/cancellations/monopolizing, using automated scripts and contact uses to help them adjust. If you are frustrated by cancellations and no-shows, please let us know immediately.