Information Processing Theory and Digital Reading: A Theoretical Framework for Academic Library Contexts
C. Melvin Jebaraj
International Journal of Information Studies, Vol. 18, No. 2, 2026.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.6025/ijis/2026/18/2/64-74
Link: https://www.dline.info/ijis/fulltext/v18n2/ijisv18n2_2.pdf
Abstract:
The rapid expansion of digital information environments has fundamentally transformed reading practices
within academic settings. Scholars increasingly engage with electronic journals, e-books, institutional
repositories, and multimedia resources through complex digital interfaces. While these developments have
expanded access to scholarly information, they have also altered the cognitive processes involved in reading
and comprehension. This paper proposes a theoretical framework that applies Information Processing Theory
(IPT) to explain digital reading behaviour in academic library environments. Drawing on cognitive
psychology, information behaviour research, and Library and Information Science (LIS) scholarship, the
study integrates the core components of IPT sensory memory, working memory, and long-term memory
with the structural characteristics of digital reading, such as hypertext navigation, multimedia integration,
and increased cognitive load. The paper argues that digital reading environments often impose greater
cognitive demands than traditional print reading due to fragmented attention, non-linear navigation, and
interface complexity. To conceptualise these relationships, the study introduces the Digital Reading Cognitive
Model (DRCM), which illustrates how digital interface design, cognitive mechanisms, and reader strategies
interact to shape comprehension and knowledge retention. By extending IPT into the study of digital
information behaviour, the framework positions academic libraries as cognitive environments that
significantly influence learning processes. The study contributes to LIS theory by integrating cognitive
science perspectives into digital reading research and offers implications for library interface design, digital
literacy instruction, and future empirical investigation.