A group with a long history in the print publishing world is opening up its membership to online-only members for the first time.

The Association of Directory Publishers, which has represented yellow page directory publishers since 1898, announced last week that it will invite online directory publishers to join the group.

“The publisher members’ directories have long been considered the original ‘search’ engine bringing buyers and sellers together,” ADP said in a news release. “And as the industry has evolved, so has the association: Its members now represent print, online, and mobile directory publishers, app developers and designers, ad agencies, and suppliers to the search industry.”

That evolution led to a new membership strategy for the association.  “ADP’s membership boasts a world-wide network of directory professionals, and the association assists its members with advocacy, research, marketing, and networking with like-minded professionals,” the group’s president and CEO, Cindi Aldrich, said in a statement. “Because of this synergy, ADP created the Online Publisher Steering Committee that has developed standards, benchmarks, and criteria for online directory publishers and has recently welcomed new members.”

ADP has already brought on three online-only directories—Hotfrog, Judy’s Book, and MakeItLocal.com—as members, Aldrich noted in a blog post.

The association also added a new daily news publication as well as a weekly blog and member-only resources to its website. It will offer a new awards program that will include online categories, as well as a new certification program for industry members.

“Over the last few years, our membership has been adapting to meet the demands of the digital world, and this move is another leap forward for all of us,” Aldrich added.

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