Abstract
The article introduces and describes the necessary steps of creation of a reader avatar: 1) establishment of a list of questions necessary to create a reader avatar while taking into consideration the specific features of a library; 2) conducting a sociological research of the target audience using a questionnaire; 3) segmentation of the user audience; 4) composing a portrait of an "ideal" reader.
The proposed method helps clarify the features of the target audience of a library and specify the attitude of readers of different age groups to the modern and the future image of a library. It helps define the degree of satisfaction of the library service and delineate specific features and prospects of developing the relationships with readers of all types.
A modern library can and should improve the quality of people's lives, help educational institutions teach the young and be an area where the older and the lonesome vent. It should play a big role in forming a reader's worldview and their inner culture. The library should become a decent alternative to bookstores and the Internet, so that good new book would be available to the population. The library should organize its work to meet the demands of all sorts of readers.
The use of the avatar method first introduced in the marketing research corresponds to the ideas of an important part a library takes in the modern world and its indispensable role in forming and enhancement of human and cultural capital. It helps take up the primary goals of libraries – to attract a reader and create the most optimal framework for communication between the service users and the library. The use of marketing techniques helps provide libraries with a competitive advantage in keeping with the demands of readers of the digital age.
Keywords
Reader’s avatar, human capital, city library, marketing research, segmentation of the target audience