For thousands of Brooklyn residents, internet access is not as simple as opening a laptop or connecting to Wi-Fi.
Across the borough, many families still face barriers to affordable high-speed internet, a gap commonly known as the digital divide. Tied to disparities in income, race, age and housing conditions, the divide continues to limit access to jobs, education and health care.
One Brooklyn Public Library leader is now being recognized for helping to close that gap.
Larissa Larrier, manager of digital navigation initiatives at Brooklyn Public Library, has been named a 2026 Sloan Public Service Award honoree by the Fund for the City of New York, one of the city’s highest honors for career public service.
The award recognizes Larrier’s decades-long work advancing digital equity, strengthening neighborhood library services and connecting underserved residents with technology, education and community resources.
Over more than 20 years at Brooklyn Public Library, Larrier has helped redefine the role libraries play in their communities, transforming branches into spaces for digital support, literacy education and direct public service alongside traditional library offerings.
“Without digital skills, residents cannot research or navigate online job applications,” Larrier said. “They lose the ability to use social media and other digital tools to stay connected with loved ones.”
Brooklyn Public Library has addressed those challenges through initiatives such as the Home Internet Access program, launched in 2022 and the Neighborhood Tech Help program. Together, the efforts provide one-on-one technology assistance, internet support and digital literacy training across the borough.
Larrier oversees grant-funded programs that help low-income residents gain access to free or affordable internet service and connected devices while leading a boroughwide team focused on advancing digital equity.
Much of that work centers on helping residents navigate everyday digital tasks. In one interaction, Larrier assisted a patron who wanted to create a photo album on her phone after returning from vacation.
“Sharing a photo album helps keep families connected,” Larrier said. “By coming to the library, she was able to learn this new skill.”
Larrier joined Brooklyn Public Library in 2001 as an office aide while attending New York City College of Technology part-time. She later advanced through leadership roles including technology resource specialist, senior librarian and neighborhood library supervisor.
While working in East New York, she helped develop literacy initiatives such as the 30-Day Reading Challenge and contributed to the New Lots Library Oral History Project, which helped the branch earn the 2015 NYC Neighborhood Library Award.
After the East Flatbush branch temporarily closed for renovations in 2018, Larrier launched a Library in Transit branch inside Brookdale Hospital, bringing books, laptops, tablets and digital support directly into the community.
Throughout her career, Larrier has focused on supporting immigrants, seniors, unhoused residents and adult learners through partnerships with schools, shelters, hospitals and community organizations.
Under her leadership, library visits increased by 10% and programming increased by 20%, according to the Fund for the City of New York.
“I hope this recognition amplifies the conversation and serves as a voice for those in need of support,” she said. “It highlights the vital role that BPL and public libraries play in providing essential digital access and education.”
As Brooklyn continues adapting to a rapidly evolving digital landscape, public libraries remain among the borough’s most trusted and accessible institutions.
