Hypertext and Hypermedia: The Effect on Libraries, Patrons, and Information Organization

This project's focus is on the implications of hypertext and hypermedia regarding the structure, format, and presentation of information. This project analyzes the technologies of hypertext/hypermedia while emphasizing their effect on users. The project focuses on two negative effects that hypermedia has on its users: information overload within and among a proliferating, bewildering array of choices of information links, paths, and levels; and atrophy of the user's associative memory function with a potential loss of critical and creative thinking skills through over-reliance on system-supplied links.