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School of Media, Arts and Humanities - for students and staff

Equipment Stores

We have a variety of equipment for you to use while you study with us which you can book using our online booking system. The equipment and facilities you have access to depends on what course you are enrolled on.

How do I book equipment or facilities?

All equipment and facilities requests are made through SiSo ().

You’ll need to register on SiSo before you can borrow any equipment or make bookings for the studios, edit booths or other facilities. Your registration will then be activated by a member of the technical team on your first visit to the equipment loans store (Silverstone building room 250).

After your SISO account has been registered please ensure that your contact details are kept up to date in case we need to contact you about your bookings or account. Confirmation emails are sent automatically when bookings are made.

Under most circumstances we will not book equipment or facilities for you.

Where do I collect my booked equipment?

Students and staff can pick up their booked equipment from the equipment loans store (Silverstone building room 250). Your Access Card will be programmed to allow you to gain access to the Silverstone building and specific MAH facilities such as stores and the edit labs.

All loans must be collected promptly. Any items not collected within one hour of the booking are automatically deleted from SiSo. If, for any reason, you are delayed in collecting booked equipment you should contact the MAH Equipment Stores as soon as possible. It may be possible to amend the collection time.

Your ID and library Card act as both your identification and is used to sign out loan equipment. Please make sure to bring this with you when you collect your equipment.

When is the equipment stores open?

Monday - 09:30 - 17:00
Tuesday - 09:30 - 17:00
Wednesday - 09:30 - 13:30
Thursday - 09:30 - 17:00
Friday - 09:30 - 16:30
Saturday - CLOSED
Sunday - CLOSED

All loans must be collected no later than 30 minutes before the daily closure time.

The equipment store does not open over the Christmas and New Year period or on minimum service days such as Bank holidays.

Can a friend collect my equipment or book equipment for me?

No, all equipment must be collected by the person who booked it. ID and Access cards must only be used by the user they are issued to.

Students and staff may only make bookings in their own name. However, multiple students can work on a session together provided the student who makes the booking is present at all times. The named student or member of staff is responsible for ensuring that the rules are adhered to.

Equipment must not, under any circumstances, be sub-let by the borrower, or passed to another student. Passing equipment directly to another student is not the correct procedure for handover and full responsibility for every item would remain with the signatory.

Delegating the equipment return to another person is only permitted through prior arrangement with technical staff and full responsibility remains with the person named on the booking.

How long can I keep equipment for?

The standard equipment loan period is from the date and time of collection until 10am the next working day. All equipment must be returned by 10am but extensions can be granted as detailed below.

What should I do if I am going to be late returning equipment?

We understand that sometimes situations occur that may cause you to miss your returns deadline. If you are unable to meet the returns deadline you must contact the MAH Equipment Stores as soon as possible by phone:  01273  873636  (for  short  notice),  or  email; MAHTechServ@sussex.ac.uk (for long notice).

All users should cooperate with stores staff should they need to contact you by phone or email during the loan period or if equipment is overdue.

How do I request an extension to my equipment loan?

Equipment loan extensions will be considered, with written permission from your tutor, for a maximum period of three weeks and is dependent on its availability. All request for equipment loan extensions will be reviewed and assessed by the Technical Services Manager who is authorised to make the final decision regarding such requests.

Users must check the availability of the equipment prior to making an extension request.

To request an extension please complete . Please note your extension will only be valid once approved by both your Tutor and MAH Technical staff, 

Can students or staff outside of MAH book equipment and / or facilities?

No. While we always strive to offer the best help and support possible, we simply don’t have the resources or staffing to accommodate non-practice based MAH members or those from other schools.

My course doesn’t have access to particular equipment / facilities that I would like to use it for my project. What are my options?

The equipment that students in MAH have access to depends on the course they're enrolled on. When you progress to the next year, please ensure you come to the stores to update your account so that you can see the relevant equipment. 

Can I take equipment on location in the UK?

Yes, you can find more information here.

Can I take equipment abroad?

Yes, you can find more information here.

Do I need insurance to travel overseas with equipment?

Staff or students can arrange travel insurance through the University for travel overseas or for an overnight stay in the UK. The University Business Travel Insurance Policy covers:

  • Staff and Research postgraduates travelling on University business.
  • All undergraduates on a field trip organised by the University and accompanied by University staff and which is a compulsory part of the students' degree course.
  • Taught postgraduates on a field trip or business trip, which is a compulsory part of the course.
  • Emeritus Professors where they are employed as Associate Tutors or Research Collaborators and/or using devolved University funds or School funds for travel, with the authorisation of the Head of School.

If your trip is not covered by the University insurance, you may be required to take out private insurance to cover the equipment. For further information please visit: /schools/media-arts-humanities/internal/documents/travelling-overseas-with-university-equipment.pdf

What should I do if I lose or break a piece of equipment?

Lost, damaged or stolen equipment must be immediately reported to a member of the technical team.

In the event of items being stolen, the borrower must report the incident to the police as soon as possible and obtain a crime number.

Items not returned within the agreed loan period will be treated as lost by the individual and any further loaning rights may be withdrawn until the matter has been resolved as agreed by the Technical Services Manager.

If an item is not returned and there is no satisfactory explanation or evidence of the insurance procedure having been followed, an invoice for the replacement cost of the item will be levied.

For items returned or reported lost or damaged, the user will be liable for the cost of repair or replacement.

Where a like for like replacement item is no longer available for purchase, a fee based on the replacement value will be levied. Cheaper alternatives will not be accepted.

Users with overdue items outstanding will not be permitted any further equipment loans until the overdue items have been returned.

If, for any reason, you are delayed in returning equipment you must contact the MAH Equipment Stores as soon as possible. It may be possible to extend the loan or for alternative arrangements to be made for equipment to be made available for the next user.