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Library Consulting Portfolio
Reimagining Libraries Since 1972
Aaron Cohen Associates have been reimagining what libraries can be for years. Founded in 1972 by a team of passionate architects and library advocates, our mission has always been clear: to transform traditional library concepts into vibrant, dynamic community hubs that serve as catalysts for learning, connection, and innovation.
We believe that libraries are far more than repositories for books—they're living spaces where communities gather, ideas flourish, and futures are shaped. Our commitment to developing innovative library design ideas stems from this fundamental belief: every community deserves a library space that reflects its unique identity while embracing the possibilities of tomorrow.
Our Capabilities
What We Do Best
Across more than five decades of practice, Aaron Cohen Associates has developed deep expertise in the full spectrum of library planning and design. From the earliest programming phase through construction administration and post-occupancy evaluation, we bring disciplined analytical thinking and a genuine understanding of how people use library spaces. Our work spans academic libraries, public branches, law collections, corporate knowledge centers, and specialized archives.
Portfolio
Client Project Lists
Explore Our Project Experience
Over more than fifty years of practice, Aaron Cohen Associates has worked with hundreds of institutions across every library type. The lists below represent a sample of that experience. Additional project references are available upon request through our contact page.
- College & University Libraries — Academic library planning and design for colleges and universities nationwide.
- Government Libraries — Federal, state, and municipal library planning and community development.
- Law Libraries — Law library consulting, space planning, and collection management.
- Medical Libraries — Hospital and health sciences library planning and design.
- Private School Libraries — K–12 and independent school library planning and development.
- Public Libraries — Community-centered public library planning and branch development.
- Special, Corporate, & Research Libraries — Specialized knowledge centers, corporate libraries, and research collections.
Our Approach
From Vision to Built Reality
Every engagement begins with listening. Before a single line is drawn or a square foot calculated, we work to understand the community the library serves, the staff who operate it, and the institutional goals that will define its success over the next twenty to thirty years. That grounding in real need is what separates a library that works from one that merely looks good on opening day.
Our consulting services span the full project lifecycle: needs assessment, building program development, site evaluation, design review, furniture and technology planning, and post-occupancy follow-up. We also offer strategic planning engagements that help library leadership align space decisions with long-range service goals. For institutions navigating the shift to digital collections and hybrid service models, our digital transformation practice provides a structured path forward.
Architectural innovation is not decoration. The libraries we help design are organized around how people actually move through space, how staff workflows intersect with public zones, and how a building can remain adaptable as community needs shift over time. Learn more about our thinking on architectural innovation and the twelve critical dimensions of modern library space.
Design Philosophy
Spaces That Reflect Communities
Through thoughtful library design, strategic planning, and deep community engagement, we create libraries that inspire, educate, and unite people across generations. A well-designed library is not a neutral container. It communicates institutional values, signals welcome or exclusion, and either supports or frustrates the work people come to do.
Our design philosophy is grounded in the conviction that every community deserves a library space that reflects its unique identity while embracing the possibilities of tomorrow. That means resisting the temptation to apply a standard template and instead doing the harder work of understanding what makes each institution and its users distinct.
We pay particular attention to the relationship between collections, technology, and human interaction. As physical collections evolve and digital asset management becomes central to library operations, the spatial logic of a library must evolve with it. The result, when the work is done well, is a building that feels inevitable — as though it could not have been designed any other way for this particular place and community. Explore how this thinking applies to academic, digital, and archival library evolution.