Barnes & Noble Calls Yucaipa's Press Release Misleading

New York, NY/AUTHORLINK NEWS/September 24, 2010--Barnes & Noble, Inc. has responded to a press release issued earlier today by The Yucaipa Companies:

"Barnes & Noble has distributed materials from Yucaipa to its employees in full compliance with all regulatory requirements. Voting instructions supplied by both sides were distributed to employees by the Company. We have no intention of sending Burkle's insulting and misleading letter to our people. As for the letter itself, Burkle's shameless attempts to reinvent himself are contradicted by his long public record of shareholder abuse and vindictive litigation even against his own family. His latest smear proves only that he will stop at nothing in his continuing efforts to distract people from what we believe is his real agenda - gaining control of Barnes & Noble without paying a premium to other shareholders.

The Barnes & Noble Board of Directors urges that shareholders vote the WHITE proxy card FOR Barnes & Noble's three highly qualified nominees and AGAINST a shareholder proposal submitted by The Yucaipa Companies, to amend the Company's Shareholder Rights Plan. Barnes & Noble strongly urges shareholders to discard any gold proxy card sent by Mr. Burkle or Yucaipa."
Background:

On August 25, 2010, Barnes & Noble, Inc. ("Barnes & Noble") filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") a definitive proxy statement in connection with its 2010 Annual Meeting and has mailed the definitive proxy statement to its stockholders. The definitive proxy statement contains information regarding the names, affiliations and interests of Barnes & Noble's directors, its director nominees and certain of its officers that may be deemed, along with Barnes & Noble, to be participants in the solicitation of Barnes & Noble's stockholders in connection with its 2010 Annual Meeting. Security holders are urged to read the definitive proxy statement and any other relevant documents filed with the SEC when they become available, because they contain (or will contain) important information. Security holders may obtain a free copy of the definitive proxy statement and other documents (when available) that Barnes & Noble files with the SEC at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov, at Barnes & Noble's website at www.barnesandnobleinc.com and from Barnes & Noble by directing a request to Barnes & Noble, Inc., Attention: Investor Relations, 122 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10011.