From "weary wanderers" and other international visitors to businessmen and scholars (and many other spiritual seekers Mrs. Eddy names in Science and Health) - they come to the jointly-maintained Reading Room in downtown Atlanta. The traffic is brisk and Christian Science is new to all of them.

"It’s location, location, location," notes Marianne Russell, Librarian, who’s also a librarian by profession.

The Reading Room has been located in the same five-block area since 1943 and in its present location since 1999. It is at the heart of Georgia State University’s campus (over 2000 students pass by every hour!) as well as the nucleus of Atlanta’s business, government and judicial centers.

Perhaps the first things people notice are the four huge windows that display themes in a variety of languages. Joggers, deliverymen and policemen regularly stop to read marked citations in the narrow window next to the door. The light is on for all to read 24/7. You can also view the Weekly Bible Lesson on video from a storefront monitor or come inside and listen to it in the A/V corner.

It’s truly amazing how quiet and calming the Reading Room is - right here on a noisy corner in the busiest section of town. In addition to quiet study areas, Bibles and CS literature are arranged for easy browsing. A computer station taps visitors into the Internet, Concord and Found Volumes. Reading Room staff, including two assistant librarians, librarian assistants, volunteers, often aid students researching for a wide variety of class projects. They also respond to remote study requests by phone, email and fax.

Every aspect is a continual growing process, changing as the needs of the community change. Several years ago the staff manned a booth at the American Library Association Conference and gave away over 1000 copies of Science and Health in many languages. Because of the area’s large international tourism and business trade, the Reading Room stocks Heralds in Spanish and French, as well as Bibles and Science and Health in all 16 languages available.

And the fruitage naturally flows - here are a few excerpts from the Reading Room’s quarterly newsletter:

• One day the door opened and a music teacher at Georgia State who walks by our windows every day said that the windows remind her "who she really is and keep her sane."


• A GSU biology student stopped to talk about her confusion and asked if we could help her "sort things out." A professor had been expressing opposition to the Bible and Christianity, and she felt no such conflict with her studies and spirituality. She loved what we shared, especially spirituality.com.


• A gentleman urgently requested a copy of the Science and Health citation in the window. "I have a lot of sick people in my life and I have to get this to them." He also said when he lived here before he would stop by and read the citation every day to get God in his day.


• Our broadcast of the Weekly Bible Lessons on AIB-TV (Atlanta Interfaith Broadcasters) and playing the video of it in the Reading Room have been called the clearest, purest ‘cup of cold water in Christ’s name’ that we have to offer. It continues to bless people all over the community. First time viewers of this Weekly Bible Lesson on TV call the Reading Room for information about our church services and how to purchase Science and Health.


• After a man viewed the Bible Lesson video on Love, his face lit up; he read Science and Health for hours. After purchasing the textbook he said that it would help ‘tie together’ what he was learning in his Bible study.


• A street cleaner who comes in to watch the Bible Lesson video, said one day, "I didn’t know how hungry I was for this and there are so many people I know who need this."


• Each Thanksgiving we paint an annual gratitude tree on our window and invite our community to contribute leaves of gratitude to the window. Again this year there were many heart-warming messages from around the world and in French as well as English.