A sign welcomes students to the Archer Package Center on Monday. Credit: Xiyonne McCullough | Special Projects Reporter
Package delivery has become part of daily life for many Ohio State students, from textbooks and care packages, to last-minute Amazon orders. To meet the demand, the university’s housing office has expanded its pickup options.
This semester, a new package pickup hub opened in Archer House on North campus, building on a model first piloted in fall 2024 at Lincoln Tower.
Unlike traditional front desks, the package centers operate with extended hours and focus solely on deliveries, Jennifer Nelson, assistant director of desk operations, said in an email.
“As package centers have a dedicated staff and extended hours, processing times are less and students are able to pick up packages anytime the centers are open,” Nelson said.
For students, the added option could help make pickups less frustrating, said Hannah Honoré, a first-year in accounting. Honoré, who lives in Norton House, said the lockers outside her dorm are often filled quickly, leaving her scrambling.
“There is an Amazon Locker right outside my dorm,” Honoré said. “But people will leave their package in there, so it’s full most of the time.”
She said the center offers a smoother experience.
“With Archer being close, it feels like I’m just walking into a store,” Honoré said. “It’s really convenient, and they don’t take long.”
While the new hubs handle packages, front desks in residence halls still serve other purposes, such as assisting students who are locked out of their rooms, Nelson said. She added that centralizing operations will better organize the system.
“We want to do what we can to help packages get where they need to go and having fewer options open all year will help,” Nelson said.
She also said that housing is considering expanding the system further.
“We will evaluate adding additional package centers on other parts of campus in the future,” Nelson said.
The Archer Package Center is open Monday through Thursday from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m., Friday from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Students must swipe in to access the building.
