The Inventory List entry allows you to search your LabArchives Inventory and log the use of items directly within your notebook. When you record usage, the quantity is automatically deducted from Inventory and reflected in the item’s usage history. A link to the ELN entry is also added to the item details page in LabArchives Inventory, providing a direct connection between the item and its associated research data.
To add an Inventory list to a notebook page, click the + New Add Entry menu and select Inventory List or hover between two entries and use the Insert Flag.
Note: You must have a LabArchives Inventory account to use the Inventory List feature. To create and activate your Inventory account, click the Test Tube icon from the top-right navigation bar in your LabArchives ELN account.
Managing Items in an Inventory List Entry
After inserting the Inventory List Entry onto a page, the Search LabArchives Inventory window will appear, allowing you to browse and select items from your Inventory. By clicking Show All Columns, you can view additional item details such as Name, Quantity, and more.
To search your Inventory, use the search bar for a quick search or click the upside-down triangle to run an advanced search. Clicking an item’s name in the results will open more details about that item. To add items to your Inventory List, click the plus (+) icon.
As you select items, they will appear in a running list on the right-hand panel. Once your selection is complete, click Next to enter the quantities used for each item. Check the Record usage without deducting quantity box if you want to record usage of an item and link it to this Inventory List entry without deducting any quantity.
After closing the window, you are taken to the Inventory List Entry Editor. The selected Inventory items appear in this window along with an opportunity to name the Inventory List, customize the display columns, and manually add an item. When naming the list, consider using clear, descriptive titles (e.g., mLYPLAL1 Western Blot) to make your Inventory List entries easier to find later using the notebook's search features.
To customize the columns displayed in your Inventory List entry, click the Edit Columns button and then check or uncheck the standard fields you want to display and click Save. For new entries, Name and Quantity Used are displayed by default. Each Inventory List entry can display a unique set of columns; customizing the columns in one entry won’t affect other entries in your notebook.
To manually add an item, click Manually add an inventory item to the list and enter details in the form. This is used if the item is not represented in the current Inventory lab.
When finished, click Save to Page to add the entry to your notebook.
Linking Between Notebook Entries and Inventory Items
After the Inventory List entry is saved and part of a notebook, clicking on an item’s name in the list will take you the the Item details page in Inventory. The Inventory Item view includes additional details on the item including a link back to the LabArchives notebook page that included this item in an Inventory List. This link displays the date and time the item was added to the inventory list, the user, and the notebook name.
Selecting the link from the Inventory Item view will then point back to the notebook page for easy and efficient cross-referencing.