This article explores the factors that contribute to men’s limited engagement in institutional reading culture and the impact of gender stereotypes on this issue. The study examines the three components of reading culture (motivational dispositions, reading behaviours, and instrumental dispositions) with a focus on the institutional perspective of libraries. This research is based on a mixed-methods study conducted in Pomeranian Voivodeship in 2022–2023, which included indepth interviews with active cultural participants (n = 20) and librarians (n = 15), as well as a questionnaire survey of active cultural participants (n = 569). The findings of this study indicate that gender stereotypes significantly influence men’s participation in the reading culture. Men tend to adhere to traditional gender roles and scripts, resulting in a lack of engagement with library programs designed to meet women’s needs. Men’s participation in all three dimensions of reading culture was lower than that of women’s. Therefore, libraries must develop programs to cater to the unique needs and expectations of male readers.
