User Guide
By default, visiting the STIMS page will direct you to the login screen if not signed in. Here, you can log in to your account or navigate to the registration page if you haven't signed up for an account yet.
The registration page allows you to make your own user account for the STIMS web app. All fields are required--username and email must be unique. After successful registration, you will be redirected to the login page.
In order to traverse between the pages of the STIMS web application, users can click on the hamburger menu located in the top left corner of the page at any time to open the side navigation bar.
The dashboard is the main landing page of the STIMS web application. Here, you can see all items that are stored in the catalog, split up by item type. To search the catalog, simply start typing in the input box at the bottom of the page. Additional filtering options are available by clicking the filter icon next to the search input bar, such as hiding unavailable items from the catalog view.
Clicking an item on the Dashboard will bring up Item View. In Item View, you can see more details about the item that you've selected, including related images or tags. At the bottom of the popup is a button that allows you to check out the item if it is available. Please note that if an item is checked out or unavailable, you may still view the information of the item, but you will not be permitted to check out the item.
Your profile can be accessed from both the sidebar navigation menu or by clicking the profile icon in the title bar. Here, you can see information about your user, including any permissions/roles that you have been assigned, which will appear under your name and username. Below your user information is a table consisting of all of the items that you have checked out. If you'd like to return an item, you can select the "Return Item" button. This makes the item available for checkout again through the catalog.
Intake is a special page accessible to users with the "Cataloger" role. On this page, a user may add an item to the catalog by first choosing the type of item that they'd like to add and then filling in the required details depending on the item type. Once the item is added, it will appear in the catalog view and will be available for checkout (by default).
Administration is a special page accessible to users with the "Administrator" role. On this page, several functions and options are available for use by database administrators only. In addition to these is the Role Management function, in which Administrators are able to assign user roles to other users, such as "Cataloger". More functions and system customization will be available here soon.
A: Checking out an item from the catalog is easy. On the Dashboard, you are presented with all items that are present in the catalog. After locating the item that you want (either manually or by searching/filtering), click the item to open the Item View. From there, if the item is available and not currently checked out, you are presented with the option of checking out the item. Once checked out, you can navigate to your User Profile and verify that the item is checked out. Currently, there is not a limit to how many items a user can check out at a time.
A: If you lose or damage an item you’ve checked out, you should report it to a database administrator as soon as possible. Administrators have special tools to mark the item as lost or damaged, which will update its status in the catalog and make it unavailable for future checkouts. This helps maintain the accuracy of the inventory and ensures other users know the item is no longer accessible.
A: To add a new item to the catalog, you must have the Cataloger role. If you have this role, you can access the Intake page from the side navigation menu. On the Intake page, you’ll select the type of item you want to add and fill in the required details (e.g., name, description, tags, etc.). Once the item is added, it will appear in the catalog and be available for checkout by default. If you don’t have the Cataloger role, you’ll need to contact an administrator to request it.
A: Currently, STIMS does not support viewing a history of items you’ve checked out in the past. You can only see the items you currently have checked out on your Profile page.
A: If you forget your password or are unable to log in, you’ll need to contact a database administrator for assistance. Administrators can reset your password and provide you with temporary login credentials. Unfortunately, there is no self-service password reset option at this time.