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Lincoln Library and Envisioning Center in Taylor serves as UPS access point to expand rural shipping options
Summary
Lincoln Library and Envisioning Center in Taylor, Iowa, became a UPS Access Point to give residents a nearby, secure place to drop off and pick up packages. The program required security and facility photos for setup, uses existing circulation scanners, and brings about $400–$450 a year in revenue.
Lincoln Library and Envisioning Center in Taylor, a rural community of about 1,000 people, operates as a UPS Access Point. Dawn Miller, a librarian at the Lincoln Library and Envisioning Center, said the service gives residents a closer and safer option for shipping and receiving packages than the nearest UPS facility, which is roughly a half-hour drive.
The access point requires customers to present packages with barcoded labels and to have preprinted shipping labels; library staff scan barcodes into UPS’s system and hold packages in a secure area until pickup or customer retrieval. Dawn described the setup process: she supplied UPS with photos of entrances, camera coverage and proposed storage locations to demonstrate security and handling procedures.
Residents can leave an email for tracking notifications; staff use the library’s standard scanners and an iPad to capture package information. The library receives $0.50 per incoming box and reports annual income of about $400–$450, with seasonally higher volumes during holidays. The UPS driver typically picks up packages Monday through Friday at about 11:30 a.m.; same-day next-day air requires packages to be presented by 11 a.m.
Dawn said the service helps local businesses and residents who lack nearby alternatives. "We are pretty rural here. We're about a thousand people, and the closest UPS to us was probably about a half hour away," she said. Local uses include business shipments, specialty food items sent in insulated packaging and customer pickup when drivers leave notice at a recipient’s door.
The library enforces verification for customer pickups; the name on the ID must match the package and customers sign for items. Dawn described a rare incident where a package contained a fraudulent check; the library contacted the sender and local police during that event and tightened its verification practices.
Startup costs were minimal; UPS provided online training and signage and the library completed a short onboarding questionnaire. Dawn said the program has been operating about two years, is not a large revenue source, but provides a valued community convenience and a secure alternative to waiting for driver redelivery or driving to distant UPS facilities.
The library advertises the service on its Facebook page and front door signage; UPS lists the location in its Access Point directory.
