As we all understand, Barnes & Noble is this great bookstore that spans numerous locations around the United States and beyond. This location is no different. It is a very large bookstore, offering all kinds of reading material, and other things. The one thing that I love about this location the most is that they have a very-very large used book section. This is located on the upper mezzanine level of the shop, near the back of the business. Walk up there, and you never know what you will find. It's a great experience. They, meaning Barnes & Noble describe the books in the used book section as being alphabetized by author. I don't know, as that's not really the case. It's all kind of a mess. This being said, that does not take away from the quest. Looking through there, you'll find a little bit of everything. Something for every reading taste. They even have a pretty nice selection of art books, featuring the works of various artists. Great place to shop for a book or a gift. Other than that, Barnes & Noble is a fully stocked bookstore. They have all of the modern, popular books. Plus, a whole lot of the everything else. Like most Barnes & Noble, they also have a café over to one side. This is where people gather, and talk, and read, and a little bit of all of that kind of stuff. One thing that is a bit unique to this Barnes & Noble, is that they have a very large toy section. This is a great place to get that unique gift for a child. Because, they have a whole lot of really unique and different items. This location also has a very nice manga section, if that's your flavor--if you're looking for Japanese anime art, and similar genres, you may well find it here. Overall, this Barnes & Noble is a great place to shop for books, and other items. You never know what you may find, or what may surprise you. read more

I typically go to Barnes & Noble in person because I want to buy a new book from authors that have new releases. In my last two trips, there have been zero copies of the books I wanted at the store and I could only order them online. They have a limited selection of newer books and it's been disappointing. The only reason I ever go in person is to leave with a book instead of purchasing online and waiting for it to get shipped. Other than that, they have a lot of classics and nice gifts. Plenty of parking in the lot and a very large store. read more

Nice place, big. Nice people and love books. I used the restroom, and it smelled terrible. Need a little better care for their restrooms. One urinal was broke, not a big deal but cleanliness is. read more

Barnes & Noble Booksellers - Dirty restroom - Bookstores Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

I love spending time at this Barnes and Noble, whether to shop, read, or do work. They have a pretty good selection of book and manga, plus the other small things that Barnes and Noble's tend to carry. The staff tend to be a little absent from the customer service desk, so you have to wander a bit to find them, but when you spot them, they offer good help. The cafe is where I end up spending most of my time. They have great food and drink, but they are usually out of fruit pieces for refreshers (not a big deal for me as I don't like them but may be a thing for others). I do wish they had more tables, but this is a minor concern. The atmosphere is a good one for getting work done as I love the hum of coffee shop noise around me. I could easily spend the day here and I intend to continue doing so. Overall, 8/10, a solid choice for a hang out spot. read more

Barnes & Noble Booksellers - A view of the cafe area with a news stand in the background. - Bookstores Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Love b&n! It's just that online it says open until 10 and on the window it says open until 10 but the door says 9 and it is actually open until 9 so that kinda sucks :-/ probably doesn't affect most people but I do most of my outside stuff at night so it's hard to keep track of this stuff when it's not taken care of by the store. I get that it says the 9pm is new but they could maybe take down the window thing or something? read more

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It was a sunny summer Saturday and I really wanted to reread Albert Camus' The Plague during these pandemic times. The website showed it as not in stock. I still called, and they could not find it. I called all other bookstores, some had no idea what I was even talking about (sad, since it was a University Bookstore). About an hour later, I see an incoming call with the local area code. I normally don't answer the phone unless I recognize the number. But I thought, what if it's Barnes and Noble and somehow the book appeared (I did give them my phone number, just in case, although I didn't expect it to be found). Indeed, it was Barnes and Noble and they found the book. I went back and picked it up and they made my Saturday! I will definitely go back for more purchases. Interested in rereading Camus' The Stranger now. read more

This Barnes and Noble is huge, great for browsing. They also have a used books area with books as cheap as 1$.

I'll start with what I don't like - the books say one price online but are more in the store. I presume the difference is to cover the brick and mortar, and I for one don't want to be explaining in a few years how there "used to be" bookstores like I've done about ticket outlets, record shops, and diners. What I do like: while online you can reserve a book for pick up in store. There is a 60 minute timeframe for the store to get your book. I had a text in 20 for mine. Staff are friendly, the cafe is nice, the place is spacious, clean, and well lit, and you can spend casual time here if you like. Or like me if you've got no time you pre-order, get the text, and be in and out in 3 minutes. read more

For a moment I almost forgot that I was tucked away in wintery Wisconsin until I saw a whole bunch of Wisconsin guide books and remembered why they were there.. I really love the size and layout of this particular B&N. The different levels really help break up the space and creates various nooks and crannies where you can plop down and read a good book or magazine. There's no shortage of seating, which is also a huge plus - I feel like a lot of bookstores discourage their patrons from sitting around and reading by limiting the number of seats in the store. Not a problem here! I love the "sale annex" as well as the arrangement of tables and chairs on the upper level. It makes B&N seem almost library-like. If I didn't live so far away, B&N would be my study/workplace of choice (especially with the free wifi). See ya soon! read more

B&N has changed a lot over the years but it's still ultimately a pleasant place to shop for a book. In college my friend and I would come study and drink Starbucks while curling up in the comfy leather chairs and taking advantage of the air conditioning in the warm months. I've frequented Barnes & Noble less and less over the years but I still enjoy my annual trip to redeem the inevitable holiday gift card. The west side location is much larger and more welcoming than the east side so I make it a point to come to this location when I'm able. I often end up asking for help finding a book, especially if it's a new release; there are several tables and end caps new books can end up. This most recent trip was no exception. There's now a large help desk along the front wall and the person I talked to was able to locate my book in a few minutes. I had walked right past it as it was on the bottom shelf of a small display in the front - my brain incorrectly assumed the books under the table would be extras of the ones up top. My only complaint with this location is that the registers are perpetually understaffed. Whether I'm there in the middle of the day or prime shopping time on a Saturday I always have to wait in line. Every time. There have been multiple occasions where it's taken me longer to check out than to decide on my purchase. Not ideal. That minor inconvenience aside it's a fun spot to peruse for almost any book you could want. read more

Really condescending and rude employees, especially Liv. She is a control freak and aggressive. Unprofessional and racist too. Chris the manager also doesn't care about the customers or any sense of staff training. Don't recommend this place! read more

They have a mediocre selection (I miss Borders). But what's worse is that they're terribly understaffed. I wandered for over an hour, but I couldn't find the section I was looking for or a single person who could stop and help! Borders, come back! read more

So I really want to do a shout out to Barnes and Noble, I'm disabled and it's winter here, and I wanted a copy of the National Geographic Magazine. I called, and confirmed they had it. I then pre-purchased it, they handled it very smoothly. And then when I didn't pick it up in three days, I had someone offer to ship it to my house for $3. They called me. Completely impressive. Maybe brick and mortar isn't dying. read more

Barnes and Noble on Mineral Point is a fun way to spend a bit of a snowy day just like this one today. That is if you happen to have the day off or class is over and you've got some free time. Their children's section is adorable. Decorated in welcoming colors and the hand puppets have me in stitches!! Lol the turtle and dog that pants when you push his tummy with your other hand and his tongue comes out or the piggy that when you pick him up and shake him a little he "oinks" like the real ham he is. The books are well organized from babies to school aged to tween. Always very clean too. Now for the adult parts of the store: my go to is the cooking section which is chock full of cookbooks with fabulous pictures to get your gastric juices flowing, there's an enormous photography section with coffee table books too. There's a huge religious/Spirituality section where you can find books on every religion or source of worship in the world. The next favorite section is where they have the journals travel journals, and travel books. Also books for school and all the ".....for Dummies" collection. I'm hanging on to the dying art of writing a paper letter or thank you card and sending it snail mail and B&N has a lovely assortment of antique Victorian looking stationery as well as contemporary styles and boxes of either blank or noted thank you cards or "just because cards". Also there's a nice selection of Godiva chocolates in singles as well as individually wrapped truffles so you can get a few for a day for just you in your book nook with a cup of tea and some sweets; or as an added gift with your book. which brings me to the cafe inside ... It's a Starbucks! Complete with teas and coffees to take home if you like or for a gift with a book for someone who's sick or having a birthday. They have everything at your traditional Starbucks. And there's about 45 seats in the cafe area where you can bring your book and start reading while you sip a hot or cold drink or enjoy a panini or bowl of soup! There's a Nook Book centered in the store so you can't miss it and you can try out Nook for yourself; it's usually not too crowded in there. Theres reading glasses for sale too. They've thought of everything and lastly if you can't choose for your book fetish friends.... There's always the B&N gift card. I can spend hours in this B&N and the employees are always around and willing to help and if they don't have your book they will order it for you and email or call you when it's in. On the second level there are comfy chairs to slouch down in and read. I've seen students in groups accessing the large tables and chairs for study groups off campus. Or there are some square tables with two to four chairs to sit and peruse your books before deciding to buy. So next rainy day if you need something to do besides the Mall or Movies... Stop in to THIS Barnes and Nobel. You'll lose hours in a great way! read more

Barnes & Noble Booksellers - Bookstores Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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This is a particularly nice B&N and we enjoyed going there this evening. Not only does it have a really good selection of books in most subjects - including art - but it has the hugest selection of "bargain" books I've seen in almost any bookstore, and particularly a B&N. The card selection is also very impressive. The young woman at the check-out counter was *very* friendly, so my entire experience at this store was quite positive. read more

One of my favorite bookstores. Great selection of books and nice atmosphere. I could spend an entire afternoon at the store.

When did this store turn into a toy store. We wanted our kids to go in there to get excited about reading but the first thing they saw was toys. Certainly doesn't foster a love of reading. Just made them focus on the toys as they are the first things they saw. I don't think we will be back. At least not how it is now. read more

Dont EVER buy from Barnes and Noble online. Tried to cancel an order made overnight....no one available by phone and can't do it online. Within ONE HOUR of them being "available" in the am, "too late" to cancel the order. Poor customer service and poor availability!!!!! read more

Every book store gets 4 stars from me because I love all books but this one gets 5 because it's just a beautiful store to browse in. Yes it has the mermaid coffee shop and typical sections you would expect but I just like the layout and design better than others. Great books. Great bargains. Great place to visit on a rainy day. read more

Worst customer service I've experienced in a long time. Not until I checked out was the associate nice, friendly and helpful. Even offered to order the item I was looking for. Unfortunately, it was too late for nice. I told her I'd just order it online from Borders. read more

Came here not knowing what book to get as a gift for Xmas. I told the librarian a brief description of the type of book I wanted and she made a great recommendation easily. read more

I love this B&N bookstore! Every time I plan on stopping by here, I always end up spending at least one or 2 hours just perusing through the aisles. It's generally quiet and the staff are, without fail, always friendly and very helpful. I also like that they still have a pretty up-to-date CD section. read more

This place does have a large selection of books, but not a lot of places to sit down and decide which book would be the best for me. Also I dont like how the store is organized. read more

We recently hosted a community event at this location and they were amazing to work with! Rich, Sarah, and Michelle and the whole staff have genuine care and concern for the local community and I found them extremely supportive in helping with coordination and promotion. I highly recommend supporting this store on a regular basis as they exude the utmost in professionalism and encouragement. They were gracious and welcoming making the whole experience such a pleasure. read more

Barnes and Noble is a great place to spend an afternoon. I was a huge fan of the old Borders on University before it closed. When that store left Madison I transitioned to Barnes and Noble. Even though I buy books from Amazon for my Kindle nothing beats actual books you can hold in your hand. Some books I do not want on my Kindle, like cookbooks. This gives me a lovely excuse to go troll the shelves and see what is new. I can get lost in this huge store, but I don't care. Sometimes it can be hard to find help when you need it. That being said, the store more than makes up for that in atmosphere. read more

Great cafe to hang out in, work in and generally spend your day. Friendly staff and great coffee.

Update: Five years later and they haven't improved one thing that I pointed out were areas that needed improvement. In fact, things have actually gotten worse. They have eliminated a number of places where people could sit and read throughout the store. Everything else appears frozen in time. The chairs in the cafe are old and uncomfortable. So much so that I am now going to other bookstores and cafes to read. The lack of any changes or updates to the layout, seating, music area etc. tells me that this place is hanging on by a thread. Maybe I am wrong but I have seen this before and I get the feeling that this place is not getting the business it once used to. Just this week a friend of mine said that she didn't want to go here and opted for another place. She has never said this before. My 2011 review: We like Barnes and Noble and go here quite a bit but it could be a lot better. Good location and plenty of parking space. This place used to be the best place to find music but now that buying music has changed we don't go here for music any more at all. Their movies have always been way overpriced and we have never purchased one here. They should eliminate the music section and just go with books now. They have a great selection of books and magazines and the atmosphere of the place is quite nice. They also have the special book readings and group gatherings etc which they have plenty of room for. They do some art displays which they should do more of. They could use more tables and chairs toward the front of the store and the coffee could be better. They could also offer more foods and bakery items. Bottom line is that they seem to be stuck in a funk and need to revamp this place. It still holds it's own but it wouldn't take much for someone to knock them off the top rung. read more

Love going here to just sit and find a good book, read and relax, there's something about being surrounded with so much information in one place, The internet has taken over in that aspect, but they will still be around for awhile so enjoy while they last.. read more

My favorite place. Large and excellent book/mag selections. Friendly staff, organized, clean place. The cafe id yummy as well.

OK-this place is huge. Clean, well stocked and I am glad it is in Madison. That said, be prepared to pay huge premium for anything there. Books are sold at MSRP. Yep, the most you will ever pay for anything, ever. OK, fine, get past that and stand in a line that seems to go on forever to pay. It always seems to move pretty well and the staff does a decent job most days. But just yesterday I was checked out by a woman that was just rude for no reason other than she was working in retail. Whatever, everybody has a bad day but to charge full retail and be sneered at? Merry frigen Christmas to you as well! No thanks, I am unsure if I will return anytime too soon. read more

Really disrespectful and aggressive staff. I went in to buy the new Harry Potter book, and being a total book noob, asked one of the staff if it had a softcover version. He scoffed at me and said, "It just came out, no way it has a soft cover," then walked away. Super condescending. He was an older gentleman so who knows the reason, I just know you shouldn't treat a customer that way. As I checked out the cashier tried selling me on some special credit card the store offers and wouldn't let me interject to politely refuse, so I had to blurt out "I'm not interested." VERY awkward. The guy seemed to be handicap but I can't be sure. Anyway, not planning on ever going here again. read more

My favorite of all Barnes and Noble Madison be locations! Very calm, down to earth atmosphere, like a mix between a library and a coffee shop. I go here to escape the craziness of the outside world. read more

I was at this location tonight to pick up a magazine as a gift for somebody with a 20% off coupon I had received in my email. When I got there, the news-stand section was closed off and I could see all the shelves were covered in plastic sheets. I went up to the checkout, since nobody was at or near the customer service desk, and asked how long the section was going to be closed. I was told it was going to be a week or so. I explained to the cashier that I had a 20% off coupon that expires on Sunday and asked if there was anyway that they could extend it. The cashier responded, in an extremely condescending tone, that no they won't and if I wanted to use it I'd have to go to the Madison East store. I've worked in retail for over six years and would never dream of telling a customer something like that. B&N thinks now that Borders is gone, they can be rude to their customers and get away with it because they think "Hey, they've got nowhere else to buy this stuff." That is a horrible attitude. This is just another reason for me to order from Amazon. read more

Was a favored place to hang out but now I hate it there. Unfriendly staff and poor management. I have never been treated so poorly as on my last visit. It is a nice place, but I prefer to spend my money someplace that treats patrons with respect. read more