Assessing digital strategies and tools for legacy publishers: What works? What fails? And What's next?

This paper will first outline the importance of transitioning to the digital era for legacy publishers, defined here as publishers that existed before the rise of the Information Age and the current dominance of digital technologies in the 21st century. Particular focus is paid to academic publishers, catalogues, and journals rather than publishers in education and trade. The parameters of digital transition, the choices a legacy publisher may face, and the problems that challenge legacy publishers are discussed and put into context in regards to a legacy publisher’s role in the digital age. Finally, an examination of different tools used in digital native companies is performed and their usefulness for legacy publishers are analyzed.