A $500,000 state grant will expand free, one-on-one technology assistance across the Hudson Valley, including at libraries in Ulster and Greene counties.
The grant from Empire State Development’s ConnectALL Office was awarded to the Westchester Library System to recruit and train workers for the Digital Navigators of the Hudson Valley program.
Digital navigators help residents use computers and other devices, access online services, and find free or reduced-cost technology and internet plans.
The program began in 2022 with funding from the American Rescue Plan Act and support from the Westchester Library System, Mid-Hudson Library System, Ramapo Catskill Library System, and Southeastern New York Library Resources Council.
“Each landscape has a different connectivity issue. In the mountainous areas there’s a lot of places in the Hudson Valley where you just don’t get good cell service,” said Carolyn Bennett Glauda, the program’s manager since 2022. “In urban areas, there’s affordability issues where people are living their entire life on their mobile device and might need some help either using a library computer or just figuring out a better way to do something that isn’t on the mobile device.”
The grant is expected to help the program serve about 20,000 people across the Hudson Valley. Four training sessions will prepare about 125 new digital navigators, and the program will develop 10 workshops for libraries and other community spaces.
Organizers also hope to offer services at government offices, senior centers, Veterans of Foreign Wars posts, religious organizations, and other locations.
The program is already available at the Olive Free Library, Morton Memorial Library in Pine Hill, Stone Ridge Library, and Mountain Top Library in Tannersville.
“A lot of times people come in and their first thought is, ‘I’m so stupid, I can’t figure this out.’ It’s often just to shift their mindset away from that, and saying, no, this is a problem that affects other people as well, and we’re going to figure it out,” said Kevin O’Leary, a trained digital navigator and assistant director of the Elting Memorial Library in New Paltz.
About 29% of New Yorkers reported that they couldn’t repair a device themselves or with available resources, according to the state’s Digital Equity Plan. People 60 and older were 8% to 23% less likely to feel confident using technology. Households earning no more than 150% of the federal poverty level were also less likely to report complete confidence in their digital skills.
“I think education and making it free and accessible is the way to go,” said Gabrielle Esposito, director of the Stone Ridge Library and a digital navigator. “The other difficulty of that is that it has to be in person. I can’t troubleshoot somebody’s issue over the phone because it’s so much easier to see it. Physical accessibility is also a barrier to that educational aspect.”
Esposito said connectivity problems pose another barrier to digital access. She joined the program because she wanted technology to be accessible and easy to use.
Many Stone Ridge residents seeking assistance are older adults who didn’t grow up managing email accounts or connecting apps, Esposito said.
“It’s very unfamiliar to them.”
Residents can schedule one-on-one appointments with digital navigators through participating libraries and other host organizations. Navigators can teach basic computer skills, help troubleshoot devices, and connect residents with low-cost internet plans.
They can also help residents complete online housing applications, manage health care accounts, write résumés, make video calls, and apply for public benefits such as SNAP.
“This project exemplifies the power of regional collaboration, and by working alongside our partner library systems, we can expand Digital Navigator services, strengthen digital literacy across the Hudson Valley and ensure libraries continue to thrive,” Terry Kirchner, executive director of the Westchester Library System, said in a press release.
ConnectALL oversees New York’s statewide digital equity plan and more than $1 billion in public investments intended to expand internet access and affordability, according to the state agency. New York committed more than $5 million in state money to maintain its digital equity grant program after the Trump administration canceled federal funding in May 2025.
Mia Quick is an editorial assistant at The Overlook. Send correspondence to mia@theoverlooknews.com.
