Sharing Digital Navigators Among Public Libraries

In July of 2023, the CT State Library (CSL) was awarded a $249,948 Institute of Museum and Library Service National Leadership Grant (LG-254838-OLS-23) to facilitate the collaboration of 8 public libraries in the design and implementation of a replicable model for sharing digital navigators. One library dropped out of the program and the grant cycle proceeded with 7 libraries organized as a hub and spoke collaborative. 

Proven Need

The project was based on the understanding that the route to narrowing the digital divide must include the availability of one-on-one mentoring for residents who want to be able to use the computer for pressing personal needs. Studies show that an effective program must also include large screen devices for those residents who do not own one, as well as internet access at their home. Libraries have been playing a critical role in strengthening what advocates call the digital equity ecosystem by fielding navigators who can teach via individual and repeated appointments. They may also be the best intermediary for the dissemination of devices, and the most effective support for clients who are struggling to get access to the internet at home. 

Background and Goals

The Regional Digital Navigator Sharing Plan was built upon the Salt Lake City navigator model but as adapted in 2021-2022 by four CT State Library-administered Digital Navigator Pilot Projects in Connecticut.  In this project, it was designed to go beyond that experience and enrich the model to facilitate the participation of libraries who do not have the capacity to independently field a team of navigators on their own.  The hope, proven viable with this project, was that via collaboration among a group of public libraries of various sizes and capacities, efficiencies of scale and the sharing of the costs of publicity, outreach, staffing, training, and financial management could meaningfully bring smaller libraries into the ecosystem,  Further, the plan hoped to set them and their collaborators up for a more sustainable approach to providing navigation to their communities. This proved true in most cases. At the same time, libraries that already had the capacity to do some navigation have confirmed that they gained from having a more linguistically and culturally diverse pool of navigators, previously untapped regional community connections, and connections with more up-to-date best practices. 

Obstacles Overcome

A formal termination of this federal grant between the dates of April 16 and May 21 of 2025 forced the hub library to release the navigators from their contracts, remove all publicity materials from public view, announce to clients that the program was over, and cease the processing of data. Once the termination was rescinded, the only way forward was to locate and rehire a navigation team. Until that team was back in place in mid-July, publicity and appointment scheduling could not resume. Ongoing relationships with clients who needed multiple visits were disrupted and difficult to reestablish quickly.  Thus, this termination resulted in the project failing to facilitate the original goal of 2000 appointments with residents in need and reducing time previously allocated for evaluation. Nonetheless, in approximately twelve months of navigation with 3 part-time navigators and additional navigation carried out by the Project Coordinator, the team managed to carry out more than 1600 appointments and distribute 305 laptops and 149 tablets to residents in need. The collection of voluminous data about clients and their needs has already proven of interest to other entities considering mass device distributions in the state. 

Conclusion

At the completion of the grant cycle, the collaborating library directors agreed that navigator sharing can be an important part of the way forward for libraries, especially in the wake of the loss of previously expected federal funds for advancing meaningful connectivity.  

In the following pages the workflow, logistics, and lessons from this sharing model will be outlined.