NEW YORK, NY - September 30, 2002 - Barnes & Noble, Inc., the world's largest bookseller, and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry, today announced the third annual "Close The Book On Hate" campaign. The campaign, which runs from Tuesday, October 1 to Thursday, October 31, will focus on helping children combat prejudice and celebrate diversity.

The national month-long campaign, co-sponsored by Barnes & Noble and ADL,

Close The Book On Hate 101 Ways to Combat Prejudice

will offer a series of special "StoryTimes" at Barnes & Noble stores all across the country. In some cases, authors, educators and community leaders will read to children and lead the discussion. First Lady Laura Bush helped launch last year's campaign by reading and talking with third and fourth graders at the Georgetown Barnes & Noble in Washington, D. C. A full schedule of events for this year's campaign is available at Barnes & Noble's corporate site. Barnes&Noble.com will also prominently feature the campaign.

Shortly after the Columbine High School tragedy in 1999, Barnes & Noble Chairman Leonard Riggio met with Abraham Foxman, ADL National Director. Disturbed by the alarming increase in school shootings and hate crimes, the two wanted to find a way to work together that would help counter this destructive trend. The result is "Close the Book on Hate," a joint effort of Barnes & Noble and ADL that is designed to use education to help break the cycle of prejudice and hatred. The program kicked off in September 2000, and has successfully involved thousands of people around the country.

A key resource for the program this year as in the past is the ADL's innovative book, Hate Hurts: How Children Learn and Unlearn Prejudice, co-authored by Caryl Stern-LaRosa and Ellen Hofheimer Bettmann (Scholastic Inc., 2000). Hate Hurts explores how to answer difficult questions frequently asked by young people, helps parents and caregivers comfort children who are victims of hate, and offers assistance when working with those who are the perpetrators of intolerance. The book is available for sale at Barnes & Noble stores and on its Web site, Barnes&Noble.com, as well as at other retail and online bookstores. A portion of the proceeds will go toward furthering the mission of the Anti-Defamation League.

To further educate parents and teachers on prejudice, Barnes & Noble is distributing a free brochure, Close the Book on Hate: 101 Ways to Combat Prejudice, which contains a recommended reading list of books included in the "Close the Book on Hate" campaign. Brochures can be picked up at all Barnes & Noble stores and is downloadable from www.barnesandnobleinc.com and the ADL at www.adl.org. Close the Book on Hate: 101 Ways to Combat Prejudice has proven to be a vital tool and demand has been extraordinary. Over the past year, Barnes & Noble stores gave away one million brochures to customers, local schools, colleges and universities, city and state agencies and non-profit organizations.

About Barnes & Noble, Inc Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS) is the world's largest bookseller, operating 606 Barnes & Noble bookstores in 49 states. It also operates 286 B. Dalton Bookseller stores, primarily in regional shopping malls. The company offers titles from more than 50,000 publisher imprints, including thousands of small, independent publishers and university presses. It conducts its e-commerce business through Barnes & Noble.com in which it owns a 36 percent interest.

Barnes & Noble also has approximately a 60 percent interest in GameStop (NYSE: GME), the nation's largest video-game and entertainment-software specialty retailer with 1,128 stores.

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

About the Anti-Defamation League The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry. ADL's educational outreach teaches people of all ages, all religious and ethnic groups and all walks of life to respect difference and value diversity. More information can be obtained from the ADL's Web site, www.adl.org.

The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.