AbstractContemporary libraries have changed quickly their social role and function due to the proliferation and diversification of multimedia digital documents, becoming complex networks able to support communication and collaboration among the various distributed users communities. Technologies have not grown in step with the needs generated by this new approach, except in specific areas and implications. Hence the need to design an integrated digital library architecture that covers by advanced techniques the whole spectrum of functionality, without which the same social and cultural function of a modern digital library is at risk. This paper briefly describes an architecture that aims to bridge this gap, bringing together the experience, expertise and software systems developed by university and companies researchers. A prototype of the system is under development.