Revenue Recognition (Details) (USD $)	6 Months Ended
Oct. 29, 2011
Deferred Revenue Arrangement [Line Items]
Estimated life of NOOK, years	2
Annual Fee [Member]
Deferred Revenue Arrangement [Line Items]
Non-refundable, after first 30 days, annual fee	25.00

Customer fees, non-refundable after the first thirty days, revenue recognized

No definition available.

Name:	bks_CustomerFeesNonRefundableAfterFirstThirtyDaysRevenueRecognized
Namespace Prefix:	bks_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration