Digitization has become integral to the brand identity of SSAP yearbooks. In an era in which the Internet and Big Data are changing how things are done in every industry and sector，it is also instrumental for improving the efficiency of yearbook production，enhancing their social impact and augmenting the overall value of the print books. This article reviews SSAP’s experience in recent years with the digital transformation of its best-known print-book brand，whose digital incarnation，namely the Yearbook Database，is now just as widely recognized as a trusted academic resource. Data on resources available to and accessible for authors，editors and readers，and database users show much has been achieved through this transformation. Efforts to promote continual growth of the Yearbook Database will focus on scaling up the volume of the database，increasing the level of specialization in thinktank output processing，and the construction of a service platform that facilitates communications and cooperation among researchers and publishers.