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Aaron Cohen Associates, Ltd. (ACA) is an interdisciplinary library planning firm founded in 1972. Our library consultants specialize in library planning and design, programming, IT integration, archives, library management and master planning projects. Our library consultant associates have offices in New York and London. Our partners consist of past and present university librarians, public library directors, librarians, architects, curators, materials management experts, world famous design architects and management professionals. Our consultants Aaron Cohen, AIA and Alex Cohen, MLS comment on library architecture, future technology, library planning and design projects from our research page. Our Associates are Librarians and Design Professionals.
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We support specialized libraries and librarians.
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OUR TEAM Aaron Cohen Aaron has a Masters of Architecture and Planning from Pratt Institute and a Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Architecture, from Georgia Institute of Technology. Aaron is the founder and principal of Aaron Cohen Associates, a library planning and consulting firm. His strong leadership, organizational design and budgeting skills have greatly impacted modern libraries and the way in which they deliver services to their community. He is an original innovator of library building designs such as the information commons, flexible learning spaces and project based workspaces. He has helped extend library services to new users both as a design professional and as a strategic planner. His background includes 38 years as an organizational planner, programmer and design architect. Aaron has been at the vanguard in the development of the modern library organization. He first developed a unique architectural building program to meet the needs of the changing information landscape. He delivered his designs and programs along with strategic planning studies to National Library organizations to large urban public library systems so that they could confront change through consensus. Aaron has been honored as a library services trendsetter, which many librarians valued as essential to the future of the library as a learning institution. Aaron started planning libraries in the 1970s when many modern institutions were beginning to recognize that library building and user needs were changing the building design He recognized that circulating materials print (books) and archives (preservation) and electronic materials (digital files) required new ways to think about the organization as a whole. Over the years, he stressed that simple approaches to organizational change and building designs were needed. Thus, he expanded his skill set as an architect to become strategic planner and educator of scenario planning. He taught new ways to look at information services in the long and short term. He explored modern solutions with the greatest architects of the world to meet the needs of the digital user as well as the traditional reader. He led organizational innovations in high education to provide flexibility so that new services and solutions would improve student success. His research enabled many libraries manage change instead of change managing the library organization. Aaron has been called a futurist and programmatic innovator. He has been linked to library advocates who have committed their lives to improving education and learning. Indeed, he has strived to enable libraries to provide greater benefits to their communities by backing efficient systems. He has developed long and short range services, equal funding mechanisms, regional service plans, technical services and staff workflows, new library building and efficient materials management systems. Aaron’s work has led to many innovations – automation, management, self check-out, RFID, collaborative workspaces, ‘library as place’ visualizations and the visual scan consensus building activities. He has led numerous workshops on library space planning and design, strategic alignment and organizational development. He is a respected author of library design and organizational planning topics. Aaron’s research continues to improve with age. He has helped numerous library organizations develop new service options. Aaron Cohen, AIA, is a registered architect (seven states, including California), a twenty-seven year member of the American Library Association, and a member of the American Institute of Architects. He also holds NCARB registration. His strengths include strategic and long-range planning, master facility planning, site selection, space planning and preliminary cost estimating. To this end, he has been retained to provide Master Planning studies by numerous library systems in the U.S. and abroad, including:
Other projects include: Broward County Library System, FL; Chicago Public Library, Chicago, IL; Virginia Poly Tech, Blacksburg, VA; NASA-Langley, Hampton, VA; Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA; University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, Urbana, IL; University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL; Long Island University, NY. In joint effort with Elaine Cohen and Alex Cohen, Mr. Cohen has conducted more than 500 seminars and workshops on space planning and design, strategic planning and library automation. The current workshop is entitled: “The Visual Scan & the Design of Future Oriented Libraries”. Also in joint effort with Elaine Cohen, he is coauthor of Planning the Electronic Office (McGraw Hill), Automation, Space Management and Productivity (R. R. Bowker) and Designing and Space Planning for Libraries (R. R. Bowker). He is also the coauthor of the chapter on Ergonomics in the CAD/CAM Handbook (McGraw Hill). Alexander Cohen Alex Cohen, MLS, Library/Technology Consultant, is a librarian and technology professional. Alex is a second-generation library planning consultant. He has worked at Aaron Cohen Associates (ACA) for almost ten years, designing services for modern library organizations, their buildings and operations. He has been instrumental in developing original building programs, space planning assessments, operations efficiencies and management for academic, public, medical, law, corporate and special research libraries. Before joining and building on ACA’s research, Alex earned his Bachelor's Degree in Finance from the University of Arizona and worked for fifteen years as an Information Technology and Software Development Manager. In 2005, Alex gained his Masters in Library Science degree (MLS) with a focus on library management, space planning and automation techniques. Here, he began to analyze and determine the technology, outreach and program requirements for libraries of the future. Alex’s software development and engineering experiences has enabled ACA to develop innovative options for the future library organizations. He has experience addressing and identifying a library organization's needs as well as its service delivery options. Alex has explored and developed the technology and outreach components necessary for numerous organizations to reinvent itself. He has blended his information technology and software development experiences (Yahoo, Unilever, Eurotunnel) with ACA’s long- and short-range planning research for Las Vegas-Clark County Library District, NV; Poudre River Public Library District, CO; Town of Barnstable, MA; and Berks County Public Library System, PA. He has established new programs for the library of the future and developed scenarios for ACA’s clients to consider as phased implementations for organizational improvement. Over the last three years, Alex has facilitated workshop programs at Stanford University, CA, Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Egypt, National Library of the Netherlands, British Virgin Islands and CILIP, London. His experiences as an international workshop facilitator and library service planner made it possible for attendees (librarians) to learn about library planning guidelines and service measurements. His work supported successful outcomes for many library communities, patrons and staff. As a library workshop facilitator and technology planner for ACA, Alex’s experience includes library automation benchmarking research and a host of modern building planning projects. Alex developed building programs for the large-scale integration of library resources for academic, public, medical, law and special research libraries. He used knowledge management techniques, service planning and reorganization, computer-based training and instructional design research to provide innovative solutions to ACA’s clients. As a member of Aaron Cohen Associates LTD, Alex has a strong understanding that facilities management and organizational development require integration. He has identified key technical hurdles, addressed challenges and provided a platform for forward-thinking solutions. He has used his abilities on several public and academic library projects, including:
Elaine Cohen Elaine Cohen, MEd, Strategic Planning & Library Consultant, is a behaviorist, educator and author, best known for her books and articles about libraries, behavior, services and organizational development. Elaine received her MEd at the City University of New York and her B.A. from Skidmore College. Elaine has worked for Aaron Cohen Associates, LTD for over 38 years. She has built up unquestionable library planning experiences as a social scientist, behaviorist, library service and programming consultant. She has focused her research on the ways in which library organizations adapt and change. She has leveraged this experience in her writing and research on numerous organizational and building planning projects. Elaine has developed and delivered new service options to large urban libraries and systems, academic libraries and small special libraries, museums and archives. Over the years, Elaine has proven that library outreach and advocacy is a life long profession. She is unequaled in her knowledge of the ways in which libraries function. Elaine is an accomplished author and social scientist, her research focused on modernizing library services and organizations so that they can meet future challenges. She has been writing about the libraries and their future including three books on the subject of libraries - Planning the Electronic Office (McGraw Hill), Automation, Space Management and Productivity (R. R. Bowker) and Designing and Space Planning for Libraries (R. R. Bowker). She has over twenty-five (25) published articles on ERIC (education resources information center) and has written at least 300 library building programs. Elaine continues to research library behavior and improve ACA’s library strategic plans, service definitions, building programs and design criteria. Over the past four decades, Elaine has been the chief editor on a number of ground breaking library service studies – Buffalo and Erie County Public Library, NY; Spokane Public Library, WA; Las Vegas-Clark County Library District, NV; National Library of Singapore and King Abdullah University of Science & Technology Library, Saudi Arabia. She has developed a behavioral standards and guidelines to address strategic service priorities, long and short range plans and technology innovation. Elaine has supported several new library building designs (National Library of Bermuda; Fuller Theological Seminary, CA; Bedford Public Library, NH) and has led many library organizations through difficult transitions toward modernization. She has written about organizational change and was one of the first library planners to recognize that libraries need to move away from mainly print based facilities and into blended learning environments to succeed. Her research is the basis of ACA’s a planning framework, which focuses on providing value through implementation options and techniques. Elaine’s excellent organizational skills and report writing skills have been vital to the success of our firm. Her experiences as an original advocate and researcher enabled ACA to provide real answers to difficult questions. Recently, she has worked on library programs and service planning projects – Boston Public Library and National Library of Greece. As a member of Aaron Cohen Associates LTD, her work includes:; Columbus Public Library, GA; St. Louis Public Library, St. Louis, MO; Long Island University, Brookville and Brooklyn, NY; Pace University Law School, NY; Cornell Medical Center, NY; National Library of Singapore. Besides being coauthor of several books on library facilities, she is the author of a chapter in Using Consultants in Libraries and Information Centers, a Management Handbook (Greenwood Press). Articles include: "Building Trends in Special Libraries" (Library Trends, University of Illinois). A recent article titled “The Visual Scan and the Design for Future-Oriented Libraries” is in Public Library Quarterly, November 2005. In tandem with Aaron Cohen, she has led more than 300 space planning, design, strategic planning and automation workshops including in-house workshops for clients. Natalya Palevski - ASID Natalya Palevski, ASID, NCIDQ, Strategic Mapping and Library Consultant, is a Library Service Planner. Natalya received her Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Architecture and Masters of Architecture from the Architectural School of the Institute of Civil Engineering, Russia and an Interior Design Associate Degree from the New School for Social Research. Her qualifications have been certified by the U.S. National Council for Interior Design (NCIDQ). Her special areas of expertise include library programming, layout, design, site selection, space planning, AutoCAD modeling. Natalya has been a member of Aaron Cohen Associates LTD for 28 years. She has helped visualize a large number of space planning innovations that have formed the basis of ACA’s contributions to the development of the modern library. She has developed library programs and CAD layouts for large urban libraries (New York Public Library, National Library of Singapore), digital learning spaces and distance learning classrooms (Southeastern Louisiana University, Duquesne and University of California), circulation and reference desks technical services and operations workflow, meeting rooms and classrooms (Long Island University, King Abdullah University of Science & Technology, Las Vegas-Clark County Library District). Natalya has been instrumental in the development of ACA’s library programs and organizational design solutions. She has been involved in the visual representation of innovations to support operational efficiencies such as flexible seating and meeting spaces, self check out and materials management. She has developed 3D visuals of ACA’s collaborative space “post and beam” and improved ACA’s library space programs for special libraries. She modified ACA’s building programs to meet new challenges such as flexible classrooms, meeting and programming spaces. She has designed efficient compact storage systems and developed detailed book retention layouts for the NYSHA and Smithsonian Institution. She has developed CAD visuals for numerous phased building plans and created shelving efficiencies for important archives and preservation organizations. Natalya has worked on many innovative master planning programs and building studies including; Las Vegas-Clark County Library System, NV; NATO World Headquarters Library, Brussels, Belgium; National Library of Greece, Athens; King Abdullah University of Science & Technology, Saudi Arabia; Columbus Public Library GA; Long Island University, NY.
Carol Ninkovich, MA, Management Consultant Carol received her M.A. in French from Loyola University of Chicago and B.A. from Mundelein College. She has been a member of Aaron Cohen Associates, LTD for 8 years. Carol has been instrumental in the smooth running of library projects, meetings and deliverables. She effectively improved the outcomes of organizational plans, building programs and research reports by keeping an eye on the details. Carol makes sure that written materials are ready for release when the result is logical and clear. She supports ACA’s clients as a project administrator, ensuring that all project budgets, client coordination, service programs and building plans are focused on implementing a working solution. Carol is an expert in administration and the coordination of project activities. She has had a long career as a project coordinator, having worked as a bilingual (English/French) project coordinator for a major international engineering firm. She has been responsible for ACA’s administration and internal management – e.g., performing and assisting with all work activities associated with contract development and administration, including soliciting of proposals/bids, issuing purchase orders, and maintaining contact with both customers and vendors. As a member of Aaron Cohen Associates LTD, she has worked on projects such as Las Vegas-Clark County Library System, NV; NATO World Headquarters Library, Brussels, Belgium; National Library of Greece, Athens; King Abdullah University of Science & Technology, Saudi Arabia.
Diana Edmonds, Deputy-Head Librarian, London Borough of Haringey - MBE Diana Edmonds, Consultant, is Deputy-Head of Libraries, Archives and Museum Service in the London Borough of Haringey. Prior to moving to the public sector, Diana worked in the private sector, initially as a freelance consultant. Before joining Haringey, Diana was the founder and Managing Director of Instant Library Ltd, a library services company. In her new role as Head of Libraries in the London Borough of Haringey, Diana combines the public sector approach commitment to serving the community with a private sector approach to finance and fundraising. Diana has extensive experience in specifying and procuring IT facilities. Under Dianas management, Haringey Libraries have moved from having no stars and no hope of improvement into a high performing authority with dramatically improving visitor and issue numbers. Diana is, above all, an entrepreneur with practical experience of organizational growth and development. One of Diana's recent projects has been the introduction of RFID (radio frequency identification) technology into the library. This was launched in December 2005 by Culture Minister David Lammy at his local library, where commented: "Coming back to my own constituency it is good to know that, in Haringey, we have libraries that are right at the leading edge." Link to more info
Sharlene Harris, St. Thomas Manager, Enterprise User & Data Services Sharlene Harris, St. Thomas Manager, Enterprise User & Data Services, received her MLS at School of Information and Library Science University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill May 1996. Her Masters Thesis was A Case Study in Management and Marketing Practices at the Elaine Ione Sprauve Library and Museum, St. John, USVI. She has a BA from Ohio Dominican College (1994). At the University of the Virgin Islands, St. Thomas, VI, Sharlene manages the operations and budget of the St. Thomas Campus Library of the University of the Virgin Islands - Ralph M. Paiewonsky Library. Her focus is to integrate the operations of the media center into the library. She works closely with the VP of ITS on the merger of Libraries and Information Technology into the new Information Technology Services component. Sharlene is responsible for the upgrade and maintenance of the University libraries online catalog and its computers on both the St. Thomas and St. Croix campuses. As Director of Libraries/Territorial Librarian Government of the United States Virgin Islands, St. Thomas, VI, Department of Planning and Natural Resources, Division of Libraries, Archives and Museums, Sharlene supervised the operations of four public libraries, one bookmobile, one kiosk and one regional library for the blind and physically handicapped, all spread throughout the U.S. Virgin Islands. Sharlene brings to the team expert administration, budget and grant experience, as well as compliance knowledge of federal grant guidelines. She also has experience in securing bids for physical plant projects at the libraries; conducting public service campaigns aimed at increasing awareness of libraries and use by community; training staff, educators and the public in the use of computer systems and software. Link to more info
G. Ra Isbell, Enhanced Learning Designs / Library Programming G. Ra Isbell received his bachloars at the University of California, Berkeley Mechanical Engineering in 1992. He has over 20 years experience designing enhanced multimedia systems for libraries. He has developed Computer Assisted Designs, Multimedia Management Systems, Budgetary Proposals, Turn-Key Systems Installation, System Training, and Multimedia System Design. Rah has a wide range of international experience. He has worked collaboratively with a strong commitment to meeting systematic design goals and deadlines. Rah's dedication to quality multimedia workmanship including Digital Video Systems, Non-Linear Editing Systems, Television Studios, Large Venue Presentation Displays, Small Venue Presentation Displays, Board Rooms, Video Conferencing, Visual Information/Scheduling Systems, Training Rooms/Teaching Facilities, Conference Centers, Master Control Systems, Networking, Wireless Networking, Specialized Computer Integration, Video Streaming and Mobile Television Studios. Recently, Rah developed the West Point Library System (opened Sept 2008). It is one of the most advanced library learning systems in the world.
Barton M. Clark, Professor Library and Information Sciences Barton is has been involved in the development of libraries for over 30 years. For the last 10 years, Mr. Clark has been involved in the International Federation of Library Associations and has been Chair and Treasurer for the Library Buildings and Equipment Section -- AlA. He is a strong supporter of the American Library Association Library Buildings and Equipment Section, and Chaired the Planning Committee for XII Buildings Seminar. Internationally, Barton has been Information Coordinator for in the Library Buildings and Equipment Section of IFLANET. Barton has been a Profession and the Associate University Librarian for Planning and Budgeting at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Library since 1985. From 1993-95 he was Acting Assistant University Librarian. In 1992-93 he was Acting Director of Administrative Professor. From 1983-93 Barton was Director of Departmental Library Professor (1985- ).Acting Director and Associate Professor (1983-85).University of Illinoisat Urbana Champaign, Library. 1981-83 Assistant Director of Departmental Library Services for Social Sciences Libraries. Associate Professor (1981-83), Assistant Professor (1981).University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Library. 1977-8 Education and Social Science Librarian. Associate Professor (1981-83), Assistant Professor (1977-81). University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Library. 1971-72Head, Undergraduate Library Assistant Professor (1972), Instructor (1971-72). University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Library. 1970-71 Assistant Librarian, Social Sciences Division. Instructor (1970-71). University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Library.
Michael Koenig, PhD, Professor Library and Information Sciences Dr. Koenig is the Dean of the College of Information and Computer Science at Long Island University. His corporate experience includes positions as Vice President of Data Management at Tradenet, Director of Development and director of Database Product Operations at the Institute of Scientific Information, and Manager of Scientific Information services for Pfizer, Inc. His research foci include the relationships between the provision of library and information services and the productivity of the organization they support, the stages of information development and their corresponding social impact, and knowledge management. He holds an M.S. in Library Science and an MBA from the University of Chicago, and a Ph.D. in Information Science from Drexel University. Dean Koenig is the author of over 90 Articles. For information on Dr. Koenig's latest research go to http://www.dochzi.com/bibs/km.html -- http://www.informationr.net/ir/8-1/paper145.html
Susan Martin, PhD, Past Director of Academic and Public Libraries Dr. Martin has worked primarily in academic libraries for more than 40 years. She is currently the Director of Marstons Mills Public Library in Massachusetts. Her past positions include University Librarian at Georgetown University from 1990-2001 and Director of the Milton S. Eisenhower Library at Johns Hopkins University from 1979-1988. Her primary areas of expertise are in library management, information technology, facilities and fundraising. She is a past President of the ACRL and the Library and Information Technology Association (formerly Information Science and Automation Division). She is the author of more than 100 books and journal articles and has served as editor of two major library journals.
Larry Nash, PhD, Professor Library and Information Sciences Dr. Larry Nash White is an Assistant Professor at East Carolina University Department of Library Science and Instructional Technology. Prior to that, Dr. White worked as an administrator in retail management, government agencies, and public and academic libraries. He has a wide scope of experience in library operations and service provision, management, marketing, financial management, grant writing, and assessment of services. He is an internationally invited speaker and presenter on such topics as library performance, leadership, assessment, and competition for service and consults with libraries and non-profit organizations. He has published in the areas of performance assessment, competitive response, and financial management of libraries. http://lsit.coe.ecu.edu/white/
Dr. Hiram Davis, Academic LIbrary Consultant, Past Deputy Director Library of Congress Hiram Davis received his Bachelor of Science Economics and English) in 1966 from Missouri Valley College. His Master of Librarianship (College and University Libraries) was received in 1969 from Emporia State University (Kansas). In 1984, he received his Ph.D. (Administration, Higher Education and Library Science) from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Since 1996, Dr. Davis has been Dean of Library Services, California Polytechnic State University. As Dean, he is responsible for the development, implementation, and direction of all aspects of library service at the University. This includes positioning the library to support the Universitys mission of teaching, learning, research and outreach, and assuring that the library actively contributes to the intellectual life of the campus. Also as Dean, he developed the master plan for a new teaching and learning facility, a potential $30-40 million project. Prior to his tenure at Cal. Poly., Dr. Davis was Senior Advisor for Staff Development and Transition to the Librarian of Congress. This entailed developing and implementing a new initiative at LC to broaden the knowledge and skills of existing staff through education, internal training, job experience, mentoring, and other means. Previous work also includes Director of University Libraries, Michigan State University; Dean of University Libraries, New Mexico State University; Dean of University Libraries, University of the Pacific; etc. In addition, he has been Director of the Committee on Institutional Cooperations (CIC) Library Science Doctoral Program for minority and disadvantaged students for six CIC universities: Chicago, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. During his long and distinguished career, he has had several academic, special, and public library assignments, and has functioned as President, vice president, chairperson, organizer or member for a host of library related associations, and consortia. Dr. Davis has worked with Aaron Cohen Associates LTD several times in the past, most notably at Michigan State University (short and long-range facilities planning), New Mexico State University (short and long-range facilities and equipment planning -- culminating in a new major library building on campus), and University of the Pacific (short and long-range facilities and equipment planning -- culminating in a major renovation/new addition to the existing library building, and an on-campus library shelving facility).
We have been especially successful in fostering imaginative solutions. We can provide program samples to prospective clients. Please review our qualifications and give us a call at 914-271-8170. We can start developing a plan to improve your library building and space. We can define your service needs to position your library for success. Contact us: Library Consultant
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