Directed by Prof. Ching-chih Chen of Simmons College, Boston and supported by the NSF/International Digital Library Program (IDLP), Global Memory Net (GMNet) is intended to be a model global digital library of cultural, historical, and heritage image collections. Much of these unique collections are of great value to education and research and are not currently accessible due to distance, form, and technical barriers. This project is intended to find new ways to enable users to access and exploit these significant collections via the global network. Each collaborator of this complimentary and synergetic group possesses experience, knowledge, expertise, and capability in different but related research area(s). Each contributes either part of its superb culture and heritage collection, or cutting-edge techniques to facilitate the image retrieval.

GMNet is also a gateway to world invaluable resources. Over 2400 digital collections from over 80 countries were identified and integrated with the current GMNet collections for instant retrieval.

GMNet's initial collection starts with the invaluable images included in Prof. Chen's interactive videodisc and multimedia CD-ROM, entitled The First Emperor of China on the First Emperor of China's 7000+ terracotta warriors and horses. These are products of her earlier PROJECT EMPEROR-I, supported by the US National Endowment for the Humanities (1983-1986). The selective images of this project became the core collection of Chinese Memory Net (CMNet) and is named "Emperor Collection" in GMNet. Since 2002, the project's scope has expanded quickly to cover many countries' cultural collections. New collections will be added constantly when ready.

GMNet’s unique retrieval techniques can be found in latest Brochure, Showcase Poster as well as "Technology Development".