In 2012, the Alachua County Library District (ACLD) began making plans to open a new branch to serve southeast Gainesville, a historically under-served community. Due to the existing success of the Library Partnership Resource Center, along with the identified needs of the community, Partnership for Strong Families (PSF) was asked to partner with ACLD to also open a resource center at the Cone Park Library. As southeast Gainesville is considered a “hotspot” of high rates of reported child maltreatment, PSF eagerly agreed to move forward with this new venture.
Prior to opening the new resource center, PSF hired a part-time Family Support Facilitator to meet with the community, assess needs and establish partnerships in preparation for the development of the Cone Park Library Resource Center (CPLRC). Through community meetings and needs’ assessments, the following local needs were identified: GED services, concrete and educational supports for children and parents, meaningful engagement and empowerment of parents and access to healthcare in southeast Gainesville.
The Cone Park Library Resource Center opened part-time in December 2013, and with early indicators of high service utilization, the resource center began operating full-time in May 2014.
