Fashion: an Occasional or Non-Occasional Guest at the Library?

Abstract

The compatibility of library and fashion is examined in the context of the current problem — audience engagement. The study uses the method of observation, analysis of scientific literature and documents.Does a modern library need fashion? Can such topics of library events and information content of library media be considered appropriate for the “temple of the book”? Are these issues of interest to readers (visitors)? What forms and formats of work to apply for fashion coverage? What advantages does a library have over a fashion magazine? The authors offer answers to these questions. Fashion is a cultural phenomenon that has a significant influence and is therefore of interest to many categories of readers. The concept of “fashion” in the text of the article is most often used in a narrow sense, as the art of creating a beautiful image with the help of clothes and accessories. The extent to which libraries address this topic is analyzed. Three main library sites of Yekaterinburg (Library Center “Yekaterinburg”, Sverdlovsk Regional Universal Scientific Library named after V.G. Belinsky, Municipal Association of Libraries of Yekaterinburg) were chosen for the study. The library media of these institutions were studied. Libraries, using the official website and social media pages, are gradually enhancing the dialogue with the reader by offering articles, reports, videos and other information materials with a broad cultural theme. In the future, library media can develop in the thematic niche of urban periodicals covering lifestyle and everyday culture, systematically addressing the theme of “fashion”. The authors suggest creating a separate rubric dedicated to fashion in the corporate media of libraries (on their websites) in order to make this process manageable. The article presents a model of a fashion column, justifies its importance, and lists the target groups.