About 5 years ago, I was given the opportunity to speak at the 112th annual meeting of the society. At that time, the term “Internet” was known, but no one could have thought that it would become such a ubiquitous subject. In this paper, I examine the current status of electronic publishing and digital libraries. Using examples of what Elsevier Science is currently engaged in, I discuss possibilities in this area and issues to be resolved. I also attempt to draw a picture of the future when papers are no longer involved in scientific journal publishing.