Exhibit 99.1


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


           Media Contact:                      Investor Contact:
           Mary Ellen Keating                  Joseph J. Lombardi
           Senior Vice President               Chief Financial Officer
           Corporate Communications            Barnes & Noble, Inc.
           Barnes & Noble, Inc.                (212) 633-3215
           (212) 633-3323


                   Barnes & Noble Announces New $200 Million
                            Share Repurchase Program

New York, NY (September 16, 2005) -- Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS), the
world's largest bookseller, today announced that its Board of Directors has
authorized a new share repurchase program of up to $200 million of its common
shares. Share repurchases under this program may be made through open market and
privately negotiated transactions from time to time and in such amounts as
management deems appropriate. This new share repurchase program is in addition
to the $200 million share repurchase program authorized on March 24, 2005, of
which approximately $50 million is remaining.

ABOUT BARNES & NOBLE, INC.

Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS), the world's largest bookseller and a Fortune
500 company, operates 819 bookstores in 50 states. For the fourth year in a row,
the company is the nation's top retail brand for quality, according to the
EquiTrend(R) Brand Study by Harris Interactive(R). Barnes & Noble conducts its
online business through Barnes & Noble.com (www.bn.com), one of the Web's
largest e-commerce sites and the number one online bookseller for quality among
e-commerce companies, according to the latest EquiTrend survey.

General information on Barnes & Noble, Inc. can be obtained via the Internet by
visiting the company's corporate Web site: http://www.barnesandnobleinc.com.

SAFE HARBOR

This press release contains "forward-looking statements." Barnes & Noble is
including this statement for the express purpose of availing itself of the
protections of the safe harbor provided by the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995 with respect to all such forward-looking statements. These
forward-looking statements are based on currently available information and
represent the beliefs of the management of the company. These statements are
subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ
materially. These risks include, but are not limited to, general economic and
market conditions, decreased consumer demand for the company's products,
possible disruptions in the company's computer or telephone systems, possible
work stoppages or increases in labor costs, possible increases in shipping rates
or interruptions in shipping service, effects of competition, possible
disruptions or delays in the opening of new stores or the inability to obtain
suitable sites for new stores, higher than anticipated store closing or
relocation costs, higher interest rates, the performance of the company's online
and other initiatives, the successful integration of acquired businesses, the
successful and timely completion and integration of the company's new New Jersey
distribution center, unanticipated increases in merchandise or occupancy costs,
unanticipated adverse litigation results or effects, product shortages, and
other factors which may be outside of the company's control. Please refer to the
company's annual, quarterly and periodic reports on file with the SEC for a more
detailed discussion of these and other risks that could cause results to differ
materially.

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