Stephen Abram has more charts to annoy me.

The answer is simple. Consumption is not down, it is just not being measured correctly. I see more in library use of books than circulation. Easliy by 5 to 1. If I teach a class of 30 students, that is 30 less transactions at the reference desk. I always tell management, want more folks to visit the reference desk? Stop giving research classes, stop training faculty. But that won't make us successful, will it?

Bottom line Stephen, take two institutions, one with the best library, one with the worst. They both graduate students at similar rates, who go one to get jobs and some are even stars in their field. Library quality does not seem to matter. People cope.