Barbara Morgan, former head of the Reader's Digest books operation, is to be president and publisher of a new book publishing line at Barnes &Noble.

Morgan, who resigned as senior v-p and editor-in-chief of RD's Books and Home Entertainment division last year, said the new B&N imprint, which is as yet unnamed, will do all original nonfiction illustrated works, including reference and guidebooks. (B&N's other in-house book imprints, including Dorset and Indian Head, concentrate on promotional books and reprints.)

Morgan said she hopes to have the first titles ready for the spring of 2000 and initially will probably be publishing between seven and 14 titles a year. Staff will soon be added at B&N's New York headquarters to create and publish the new line.