The concept of environment in reading activity is actively used in publications of various levels, but the question of its essence has not been considered. The aim of the article is to give scientific substantiation to the concepts of “reading environment” and “reading environment formation”. Their main characteristics and interrelations with such concepts as “reading activity”, “reading communication”, “practices of reading organization” are defined. The possibilities of their use in reading studies are outlined. The methodology of the research is based on the analysis of works devoted to psychological, sociological, culturological aspects of the phenomenon of environment and library, bibliology, pedagogical approaches to influence its formation. The main results consist in defining the reading environment as a set of elements: books as a resource of reading communication, socio–pedagogical conditions of reading activity (family reading, book publishing, library, school and university). The reader’s environment formation is defined as a purposeful meaning–generating subjective activity of the reader, leading to the formation of the reading environment. Examples of reading environment formation in the Linguistic Gymnasium of Kirov city are given. Prospects of using environment–forming reading activity in library and pedagogical practice are indicated.