Pension And Other Postretirement Benefit Plans	9 Months Ended
Pension And Other Postretirement Benefit Plans	Jan. 28, 2012
Pension And Other Postretirement Benefit Plans [Abstract]
Pension And Other Postretirement Benefit Plans	(14) Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans As of December 31, 1999, substantially all employees of the Company were covered under a noncontributory defined benefit pension plan (the Pension Plan). As of January 1, 2000, the Pension Plan was amended so that employees no longer earn benefits for subsequent service. Effective December 31, 2004, the barnesandnoble.com llc (Barnes & Noble.com) Employees' Retirement Plan (the B&N.com Retirement Plan) was merged with the Pension Plan. Substantially all employees of Barnes & Noble.com were covered under the B&N.com Retirement Plan. As of July 1, 2000, the B&N.com Retirement Plan was amended so that employees no longer earn benefits for subsequent service. Subsequent service continues to be the basis for vesting of benefits not yet vested at December 31, 1999 and June 30, 2000 for the Pension Plan and the B&N.com Retirement Plan, respectively, and the Pension Plan will continue to hold assets and pay benefits. The actuarial assumptions used to calculate pension costs are reviewed annually. Pension expense was $504 and $665 for the 13 weeks ended January 28, 2012 and January 29, 2011, respectively, and $1,608 and $1,909 for the 39 weeks ended January 28, 2012 and January 29, 2011, respectively. The Company provides certain health care and life insurance benefits (the Postretirement Plan) to certain retired employees, limited to those receiving benefits or retired as of April 1, 1993. Total Company contributions charged to employee benefit expenses for the Postretirement Plan were $38 for the 13 weeks ended January 28, 2012 and January 29, 2011, respectively, $113 for the 39 weeks ended January 28, 2012 and January 29, 2011, respectively.

The entire disclosure for pension and other postretirement benefits.

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