Every day we hear about new initiatives in information technology (IT) and how they are affecting various aspects of higher education. One area in which IT has the potential to make significant contributions is the field of scholarly publishing, as publishers seek to serve the needs of a growing population of Internet users who want access to research and educational materials in digital form. What do developments in IT mean for scholarly publishers? What contributions can IT make to this field, and what obstacles (technological, cultural, organizational, and financial) must be overcome for scholarly publishing to benefit from these developments? Finally, what will be the sources of leadership, of infrastructure, and of funding?