The impact of digital libraries on cognitive processes: psychological issues of hypermedia

Digital library research has focused on the construction of large-scale databases that provide users with hypermedia search and examination tools. Digital library construction has resulted in impressive, albeit sometimes overwhelming content, in a multimedia environment. As such, research should turn to examining the role of the human processor in digital library experiences. Cognitive psychologists have examined the comprehension processes involved in human information processing, and critically, how information is stored in memory. These findings can be applied to issues inherent in the conceptualization and implementation of digital libraries. This article reviews relevant findings from cognitive research on text comprehension, memory, and spatial cognition with the aim of describing how these concepts apply to the design and functionality of digital libraries. Further, we describe ways in which interdisciplinary collaborations between cognitive psychology and digital library research will be mutually beneficial. Digital libraries can serve as rich test-beds for cognitive theories, while cognitive theories can inform design specifications for digital libraries.