A public library reports that the number of books issued to members for home use has fallen by a third over three years, while the number of members walking into the library each week has risen steadily over the same three years. Which of the following, if true, best explains this?

Reading that happens inside the building never appears in the issue register, so a shift towards on-site consultation draws more members in while cutting the number of books taken home. The two figures then move opposite ways for a single reason. A higher fee would tend to reduce visits rather than raise them, and paint and the members' addresses have no bearing on either number.