Digital Navigator program launches at state libraries

Beginning this month, Hawaii residents will be able to sit down with trained “digital navigators” at public
libraries for help with everyday technology skills, part of a new state initiative to expand digital literacy and bridge the digital
divide.

The Community Digital Navigator Program, announced Wednesday by Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke and the Hawaii State Public Library System, is part of the state’s Connect Kakou effort to expand access to affordable, high-speed internet. The program launches Monday in five branches —
Kailua, Waipahu, Ewa Beach, Waianae and Wailuku — and will expand to all 51 libraries statewide over the next month.

Residents will be able to schedule appointments or walk in for one-on-one help twice a week at each participating branch. Each navigator will be available for about four hours at a time, offering guidance on a range of tasks, from learning how to use a smartphone to applying for public benefits online.

Luke said the initiative is about ensuring that access to broadband is matched by the skills to use it. Connect Kakou has already expanded broadband infrastructure and affordability programs across the state, but Luke noted that many residents — especially kupuna and people in rural communities — still struggle with digital literacy.

State Librarian Stacey Aldrich said the program builds on the state Legislature’s passage of Senate Bill 2214, which designated public libraries as hubs for digital learning.

“As libraries have grown from books to digital resources, we’ve also still been that human touch — a place where people can come and talk to another person about whatever issue they have,” Aldrich said.

She described the program as adding a third option to the library’s digital literacy offerings.

The libraries will offer multiple ways to support digital learning: group classes for those who prefer learning with others, online resources and tools for self-directed learners looking to improve their skills, and one-on-one guidance from a digital navigator for personalized assistance.

Many residents may only need help with a single, specific task rather than a full class or extensive online search — like figuring out how to use a phone — and Aldrich said a digital navigator can provide that personalized, one-on-one support to address these individual needs.

The program is supported by the University of Hawaii and nonprofit partners like Mapunawai, who helped fund training for navigators. More than 200 people applied for the first round of seven positions.

Isaia Souza, one of the navigators, said the work goes beyond teaching technical skills.

“What we’re getting to do here is a huge privilege with the libraries, all of our digital navigators feel the same way,” Souza said.

He also said that while digital skills are a key part of what a digital navigator teaches, their role goes beyond technical instruction, helping residents — such as kupuna — navigate tasks that are personally important to them.

Souza recalled teaching a
Lahaina wildfire survivor how to use an iPad given to her by her late husband.

“What she told me was ‘this one of the last things my husband gave me before he passed away, and I’m just so afraid to turn it on, I’ve never even plugged it in, I don’t want to break it, can you help me set this up?’” he shared. “It was such a powerful, emotional thing for me to do that for her, and it’s hard not to look at this as a privilege to serve you all in this way,” he said.

Another resident faced weeks of difficulty trying to apply online for food stamp benefits, hindered by limited transportation and uncertainty about the process. Souza shared that he guided her step by step, helping her complete the application and access assistance she otherwise might not have been able to obtain.

Digital equity advocates say these stories illustrate the stakes for Hawaii, where thousands of households still lack reliable broadband access and many residents remain excluded from essential online services. Libraries, present in communities statewide, are seen as natural hubs for reaching people.

By November, the library system expects every branch to host navigators twice a week. Sessions will be free of charge, and residents can either make appointments online or walk in at their local branch.