I remember when I recently had become a member of The American College of Medical Toxicology (ACMT) and the Internet Journal of Medical Toxicology (IJMT) was launched. My how the years fly by! From modest beginnings, we morphed into the print version, The Journal of Medical Toxicology (JMT), are indexed by Medline, and just contracted with Springer, a large scientific publishing house. While we are forever indebted to Penn Press for ushering us through our growing pains with fantastic support, the leadership of ACMT made the decision to contract with a larger publisher to further aid in the growth of our journal.

One of the most significant advantages that Springer offers is the ability to disseminate JMT through Springer's many consortia contracts with libraries throughout the world. At present, JMT has relatively limited circulation—individual subscriptions to ACMT members and a few others, and a handful of medical libraries. Through SpringerLink, JMT is now available to libraries throughout the world. This will not only greatly enhance the penetrance of JMT and perhaps bring in more submissions, but will also, hopefully, strengthen JMT’s bottom line.

In addition, Springer offers real-time online publication. When a submission is accepted, formatted, proofed, and finalized, it will be published online within 21 days and can be cited. The first article was available online by mid-January. This is a major advantage as some articles will be e-published (and indexed) a number of months ahead of the print publication date. We will continue to print a quarterly journal, but our capacity for quick turn around and our ability to increase the number of articles published is greatly enhanced. In addition, Springer offers public relations support and will help prepare a press release on key articles designated by the editors as newsworthy.

We are excited to enter this new partnership and look forward to continued improvement in our journal. Because of the submission of manuscripts and the quality reviews from our members and others, the journal continues to expand and improve. It is important to recognize all of the members who have contributed to make this venture a success. It started with a dedicated group who published IJMT and has continued to grow with the selfless efforts of our members and leadership. All of us should be proud of the production of an exceptional journal that will continue to advance in the upcoming decade.