The purpose of this article is to provide a sociological analysis of reading as a socio-cultural value. By means of systematization and secondary analysis of the published results of sociological research, the article examines the attitudes of various groups of respondents towards this value and its personal meanings. The article also explores the process of implementing the value of reading, including readers' access to literature on electronic media. The article identifies several challenges in the sociological study of this value. These include the use of small, non-representative samples by some authors, the use of research methods that are not always relevant, and the neglect of mathematical statistics. It has been established that there is no analysis of the value of reading in the system of other socio-cultural values in Russian sociological literature. For the first time, the article highlights the socio-cultural functions of the value of reading and emphasizes the importance of comparative research.
socio-cultural value of reading; attitude towards the value of reading; personal meaning of the value of reading; social significance of the value of reading.