Abstract

Restrictive qualitications for entry, payment to obtain a reader's card, a general atmosphere of intimidation are some of the features of the existing great libraries; but they are also the betrayal of the very purpose of their establishement during the Modern Age, namely that of democratizing access to knowledge and circulating ideas. A goal which the Digital Public Library of America (DIPLA) project aims to achieve thanks to new technological infrastructures. It deals with an horizontal network growing day by day, that links up digital collections in libraries, archives and museums in the world designed with the aim to making the cultural heritage of america available, free of charge, to everyone in the world.