: We describe Garlic, an object-oriented multimedia middleware query system. Garlic enables existing data management components, such as a relational database or a full text search engine, to be integrated into an extensible information management system that presents a common interface and user access tools. We focus in this paper on how QBIC, an image retrieval system that provides content-based image queries, can be integrated into Garlic. This results in a system in which a single query can combine visual and nonvisual data using type-specific search techniques, enabling a new breed of multimedia applications. 1 Introduction Many applications today require access to a broad range of datatypes. A patient's medical folder contains MRI scans (image), lab reports (text), doctors' dictated notes (audio), and address and insurance information (record-oriented database data). A geographic information system needs maps, satellite images, and data about roads, buildings, and populations. ...