Exhibit 99-1

               STATEMENT UNDER OATH OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICER
                 REGARDING FACTS AND CIRCUMSTANCES RELATING TO
                              EXCHANGE ACT FILINGS

I, Stephen Riggio, state and attest that:

         (1) To the best of my knowledge, based upon a review of the covered
         reports of Barnes & Noble, Inc., and, except as corrected or
         supplemented in a subsequent covered report:

                  -        no covered report contained an untrue statement of a
                           material fact as of the end of the period covered by
                           such report (or in the case of a report on Form 8-K
                           or definitive proxy materials, as of the date on
                           which it was filed); and

                  -        no covered report omitted to state a material fact
                           necessary to make the statements in the covered
                           report, in light of the circumstances under which
                           they were made, not misleading as of the end of the
                           period covered by such report (or in the case of a
                           report on Form 8-K or definitive proxy materials, as
                           of the date on which it was filed).

         (2) I have reviewed the contents of this statement with the Barnes &
         Noble, Inc. audit committee.

         (3) In this statement under oath, each of the following, if filed on or
         before the date of this statement, is a "covered report":

                  -        the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year
                           ended February 2, 2002 of Barnes & Noble, Inc.;

                  -        all reports on Form 10-Q, all reports on Form 8-K and
                           all definitive proxy materials of Barnes & Noble,
                           Inc. filed with the Commission subsequent to the
                           filing of the Form 10-K identified above; and

                  -        any amendments to any of the foregoing.

/s/Stephen Riggio
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Stephen Riggio
September 13, 2002
Subscribed and sworn to
before me this 13th day of
September, 2002.
/s/Jean M. Rouda
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Notary Public
My Commission Expires:  August 15, 2006