The New York Public Library Receives Innovation Award from New York City

Photo: Jonathan Blanc / NYPL.

The New York Public Library (NYPL) is proud to announce that the Adams Administration has awarded NYPL Vice President of Information Technology Garfield Swaby a NYC Hayes Innovation Prize for his groundbreaking work to use Library infrastructure to tackle the digital divide in New York City. Swaby received the award, which includes a $1,000 prize, on March 2 at a ceremony at Gracie Mansion. Swaby said he will use the prize money to take his team out to dinner, and make a donation to the Library. 

Swaby and his NYPL team created a pilot program to bring free Wi-Fi internet access to patrons’ homes in neighborhoods that do not currently have access to broadband. The pilot used cutting edge CBRS technology that extended the reach of the Library’s WiFi signal to the participating neighborhoods — Grand Concourse and Mott Haven in the Bronx, Schomburg Center/Countee Cullen and Seward Park in Manhattan, and Stapleton in Staten Island.  

The pilot was open to anyone over the age of 18 with a valid NYPL library card who lived within the identified coverage area of one of our test locations. Over 100 people participated. 

Phase one of the pilot program recently wrapped up and found that although the CBRS technology is still maturing, under the correct conditions, NYPL can broadcast the signal reliably in patrons’ homes. This was not a given at the beginning of the pilot. Its successful use shows that our model has great potential for our patrons. 

NYPL is now embarking on phase two, which will explore different approaches to reach even more New Yorkers, as well as a heavy focus on patron feedback. By listening to patron feedback, we can work to make sure that more people will take advantage of this program. 

Another facet of phase two involves the NYPL working with vendors to mature the technology to solve the unique challenges of libraries, school districts and the community broadband space. Unlike the private sector the vendors currently create technology for, these groups tend to serve low-income communities, who have unique needs. The NYPL’s efforts to get the vendors to take on these challenges could ultimately help other libraries and community groups, one of the goals of the pilot.  

“For decades public libraries have served as essential providers of free internet access, devices, and skills for those on the wrong side of the digital divide. Our Vice President of Information Technology, Garfield Swaby, and his team have taken our commitment to digital equity to the next level: using the Library to provide internet access directly into our patrons’ homes. NYPL Wireless pilot is an innovative and, we hope, scalable approach to help ensure all New Yorkers have internet access. We applaud Garfield and his team for their important work on behalf of New Yorkers,” said New York Public Library President Anthony W. Marx. 

“Being among the list of incredible projects selected this year, I am incredibly honored to receive the NYC Hayes Innovation Prize on behalf of the New York Public Library. The NYPL Wireless pilot program, which aims to bridge the digital divide and provide equitable access to technology, is at the core of our mission. Winning this award is a testament to the dedication and hard work of everyone involved in the project. We are thrilled to continue expanding our services and exploring new use cases to better serve our patrons and the community as a whole,” said Garfield Swaby, Vice President of Information Technology at The New York Public Library.

Leadership support for NYPL Wireless is provided by The JPB Foundation.

Major support for NYPL Wireless is provided by S&P Global Foundation. This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (Award Number LG-251073-OLS-21).

The Hayes Prize began in 2005 to honor the legacy of Frederick O’Reilly Hayes by recognizing dedicated, forward-thinking City officials early in their careers. Fred Hayes was the NYC Budget Director under Mayor John Lindsay and a devoted public servant and innovator of City and federal government management practices.

About The New York Public Library

For over 125 years, The New York Public Library has been a free provider of education and information for the people of New York and beyond. With over 90 locations—including research and branch libraries—throughout the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island, the Library offers free materials, computer access, classes, exhibitions, programming and more to everyone from toddlers to scholars. The New York Public Library receives approximately 16 million visits through its doors annually and millions more around the globe who use its resources at www.nypl.org. To offer this wide array of free programming, The New York Public Library relies on both public and private funding. Learn more about how to support the Library at nypl.org/support.