My interpretation is that the awards had their heyday 1975-1995 with a measurable dip in the late 1980's. However, since circa 1995, all the awards have been in decline with Caldecott and Newberry suffering the steapest declines, down some 60% since their peak. Is it the internet (mass adoption beginning circa 1995) which perhaps has generated alternate means for assessing value of books via a plethora of children's books website, social media, and blogs dedicated to children's reading? Perhaps circa 1995 there was some change in the awards where the tastes of judges has diverged from those of the reading public, condemning them to decreasing relevance.
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