BN.com Adds New Programs

By Lynn Andriani -- Publishers Weekly, 6/4/2008 8:31:00 AM

Barnes & Noble has launched three new programs on its Web site, www.bn.com: Guest Books, 5 Books and The Book Files. The programs feature original content and began this week in the Barnes & Noble Review and The Barnes & Noble Studio. The programs are the latest additions to the retailer's expanding Web site.

Guest Books and 5 Books appear in the B&N Review section of the site. Guest Books shares favorite books from writers, artists and celebrities. The weekly gallery debuts this week with picks from Anthony Bourdain, Augusten Burroughs and Gregory Maguire. 5 Books is a topic-specific guide to “essential and intriguing books.” Each week the program will suggest five titles meant to sharpen readers’ knowledge on a particular subject. This week’s installment covers money, Paris and baseball. The Book Files, which appears in B&N Studio, is an original Web video series that tells the stories behind books. This week’s one-minute offering explores James Joyce’s Dubliners; future episodes feature Jerzy Kosinski’s Steps and Dr. Seuss’s Green Eggs and Ham.

Mike Skagerlind, v-p and head of digital media for Barnes & Noble.com said the goal of the new features is to “celebrate the book world while offering a platform for visitors to share experiences, interests and passions with their peers, as well as helping readers and book buyers discover new works.”