Hot Springs Couple Closing Book Shop After 40 Years
By: Marci Manley, KARK 4 News
Updated: February 8, 2013
A Central Arkansas couple are shuttering their book shop after 40 years.
Thousands of volumes remain on the shelves, and they're hoping they can strike a chord with the community to help take a few of those items off their hands.
Lambert's Swap Shop is in its last chorus.
"People are not buying books," co-owner Charles Lambert says. "We can't afford to pay bills."
A couple's commitment for over 40 years is crammed into shelves and stacks of more than 40,000 books, but a Bible might be hard to come by.
"They keep buying them up or I keep giving them away about as fast as I can get them," Charles says.
Charles and Naomi Lambert started the shop when e-readers and iPods were science fiction, and they're more likely to turn to a hymnal than iTunes.
If they can sell off their stock, it will give them a chance to sing in churches and nursing homes full time.
"Some of those people may have forgotten their name, but you look back there and they remember the good old gospel songs," Naomi says.
So although the book shop may be closing, it's not the end for this pair. It's the same story, just a different verse.
If you're interested in going through the Lambert's collection, they'll be open through Feb. 15.
They're hoping to sell off their books to have enough money to retire.
Thousands of volumes remain on the shelves, and they're hoping they can strike a chord with the community to help take a few of those items off their hands.
Lambert's Swap Shop is in its last chorus.
"People are not buying books," co-owner Charles Lambert says. "We can't afford to pay bills."
A couple's commitment for over 40 years is crammed into shelves and stacks of more than 40,000 books, but a Bible might be hard to come by.
"They keep buying them up or I keep giving them away about as fast as I can get them," Charles says.
Charles and Naomi Lambert started the shop when e-readers and iPods were science fiction, and they're more likely to turn to a hymnal than iTunes.
If they can sell off their stock, it will give them a chance to sing in churches and nursing homes full time.
"Some of those people may have forgotten their name, but you look back there and they remember the good old gospel songs," Naomi says.
So although the book shop may be closing, it's not the end for this pair. It's the same story, just a different verse.
If you're interested in going through the Lambert's collection, they'll be open through Feb. 15.
They're hoping to sell off their books to have enough money to retire.
