Students are finding that research has become a matter of flipping a page and clicking a mouse.

Librarygoers find themselves searching both Web and book pages more than ever at the university, MSU library officials say.

“We are probably one of the largest providers of Internet access on campus, and that helps bring people in,” said Clifford Haka, director of libraries.

Haka said more books are checked out of the library each year, but the rate of the increase is slowing down, as 15 percent of the materials available through the MSU libraries are electronic.

“I think the Internet and the library are working together now,” he said. “Our librarians refer people to Internet sites all the time.”

The MSU libraries spend $731,000 yearly on technology. The budget includes money for computer networking supplies and services. The annual materials budget for MSU libraries is about $7.5 million.

“The Internet helps us in the sense we can provide information to our patrons faster,” said Faye Backie, assistant director of public services at the Main Library.

Backie said along with the resources available for students at the libraries, there are also incentives to draw in personal computer users with Internet access, newspapers from around the world and its Cyber Cafe.

“Business is booming at the MSU library in part because it’s a friendly place to be,” she said. “And there is always some information that people can’t find online or on their own.”

Tim Newman, a music education junior, said he mostly relies on the Internet as an extra source if he gets stuck while working on papers. Newman said his instructors promote the use of the Internet, but not all the time.

“Usually, they will say students can use one Internet source,” he said. “They don’t want you to use it too much.”

Newman said although he makes use of both, each has its downfalls and upswings.

“At the library, I can have the book in my hand, while on the Internet it’s really the luck of the draw if you can find something or not,” he said. “But the Internet is something that’s accessible through your room.”

But Blaine McKinley, professor emeritus of American Thought and Language, said he allocates a project requiring Internet research every other semester and students seem to prefer that.

“I don’t, they do,” he said. “They see it as sort of fun, and some see the library as sort of intimidating, but from my point of view, there are a lot of resources in the library that aren’t on the Internet.

“I prefer the library - there isn’t always a check on the quality of the Internet. I’m not really hostile to it, but I think it’s important for people to not forget the library is still there.”

And although online databases make it easy for students to avoid using the library, databases such as the Georgia Library Learning Online at the University of Georgia are used to assist librarians.

“We use it constantly,” said Deborah Stanley, a librarian at the University of Georgia library.

“It’s state-funded, and the idea is to provide state access to different resources, and all sorts of different resources are available through (the database).”

Some students prefer using books in the library. Abby Desy said she was never assigned an Internet research project - and that doesn’t bother her.

“I try to stay away from computers as much as possible,” the communication junior said. “I would rather use a book.”

Staff writer Chad Previch contributed to this report.

Megan Frye can be reached at fryemega@msu.edu.