DeKALB – A new, six-foot wide, dark gray locker with 42 compartments has come to Holmes Student Center located on the first floor by the elevator and Huskie Books and Gear.

The Amazon Hub locker is a kiosk for students, staff and DeKalb residents to order, ship and pick up packages. 

“This is going to be super convenient for students who might not have a car who live closer, who can’t get across town to go somewhere else to drop off or pick up their items,” said David Lochbaum, associate director of Facilities and Administration at Holmes Student Center.

When ordering a package, to get it shipped to an Amazon Hub locker, select the  “find a pick up location near you” option when entering shipping information, and select Holmes Student Center Aventura.

Aventura is the name of the HSC’s locker. Every Amazon Hub has a name in order to differentiate each locker.

Every delivery has a six-digit code. When a package is getting picked up, the owner must type in the code and the door holding their package will open. 

Amazon packages can be picked up from the lockers anytime the HSC is open. The hours are 7 a.m. to midnight unless stated otherwise for holidays and breaks. 

“If you don’t collect your package within three calendar days after delivery. The package is returned to Amazon,” according to Amazon’s website.

Lochbaum said Amazon packages can also be returned through the hubs.

“You can go online, and set a destination of where you want to return your things to so that when the driver comes, there’s things in those lockers then to be picked up for return as opposed to having to drive to somewhere else,” Lochbaum said.

Amazon has three total Amazon Hub’s in DeKalb.

“They offer a contact-less experience to customers, an ideal way to address the “new normal,” Amazon’s website said.

NIU and Amazon have been working on putting in an Amazon Hub on campus since June 2023.

Lochbaum said the locker’s placement is an advantage for guests staying at the HSC Hotel.

“It was sort of posed to us as we’re sort of the beta tester for the campus to see are they going to be used?” said Lochbaum. “We’re hoping so, that people take advantage of the location.”