This is a very atypical B&N in the way that it mostly caters to the college market. So you're actually not going to see a whole lot in the traditional books department. But it serves its function pretty well at least. read more

Go somewhere else to buy your BUCKEYE CLOTHING and other stuff. This store has no air conditioning and makes it unbearable to shop!

Very cool variety!! All sorts of shirts, shorts, hair accessories, car accessories, pet clothing, stuffies, etc with school logos. Fun and clean store. Clearance sections have plenty of nice things. The reason for 4 stars instead of 5 is because it's pretty pricey. read more

Ordering textbooks for Spring semester at the university...you know, the one affiliated with this store. The website crashed three times while trying to order with the third time being close enough that I had searched by ISBN and gotten all the way to the shipping selection. Then, poof. I had to do what I dreaded most...I ordered it from Amazon after not being able to find it at the library or at the locally owned bookseller. I try, I really do, to support BN just because they are an alternative to the big boy. But when their website fails, and you can't get a human on the 'phone, there's not much choice. I love the physical store itself - lots of great university merchandise (though, it's no Long's Bookstore or SBX of old). But, come one, a week before classes start and the website doesn't work? I hate to think what it will be like next weekend. I'll shop here again, during downtimes, and in person only, but very disappointing. Kind of wishing I could zip into Long's, get the books, get a $14 irregular Champion made in USA sweatshirt (if you know, you know), and then head over to Flying Pizza for a slice. But those exist now...only in my dreams. read more

Looks like B&N is taking over college campuses! My undergraduate (University of Kentucky) is now under them as well. This is a huge store! Two floors! I've seen people sit and study upstairs. It's a nice view! Textbooks are up there as well as school supplies. Bottom floor is mostly apparel and actual OSU stuff. You can find jerseys, magnets, toys, key chains, Christmas ornaments, leggings, Nike gear, hats, gloves, planners, etc. I walked in hoping to buy a magnet but was enticed to buy a new dri fit shirt. Consumerism is hard not to fight. There's a "Starbucks" in here which probably doesn't take the Starbucks app, but cool to know you can get a snack. My only complaint is how expensive Barnes and Noble is. Campuses bookstores in general are way too overpriced. I come on occasion but only for discounted items. I did enjoy seeing that they had OSU Shirts that were in different languages! Very cool! read more

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Spent some time here with a toddler today, not the best way to explore a bookstore but I did get to look around a lot. We spent a lot of time riding the escalators. It's bigger than I expected, and the textbook area upstairs looked pretty large (we didn't actually go back in there at all.) Also upstairs there were kids' books and toys, a small play area, school supplies, etc. Even some household goods for students, like shower racks. A couple of empty tables up front with great views of High Street. Downstairs there was a lot of OSU stuff. Like, a lot. The rest of the books were also here, and though I didn't get to browse them there was a wide selection, though not as many as at a standard bookstore. This is the campus bookstore, replacing Long's and SBX, so that makes sense. There's also a Starbucks, and there's some other snack food near the checkouts. This is probably the closest bookstore to me, but unless I'm already on campus I'll probably go to bigger standard ones (or small used ones) somewhere else. But when I was a student, living part of the time just up the block, I would have loved to have had this nearby. There are a few corners to study in, you don't have to have a car to get here, and the AC is ice cold. All pluses, at least for broke college student Mark. read more

I love Barnes and noble always helpful and clean and a pleasure to visit Large selection and can order whatever you need if they don't have it read more

They used to have an extensive philosophy section. But who reads that, right? They nearly beheaded it and of course replaced it with more OSU crap. Stay in your lane, B&N. Provide the service you are supposed to: books. Once they moved thousands of books from upstairs downstairs, the inventory took a serious hit. They got rid of books, hundreds or thousands of them. It's the same here as it is at the library. If people aren't reading, that's not simply an incentive to change the products but change the marketing. Under the crushing weight of pop culture it's difficult to give much hope to the physical discipline of the book (Critique of Pure Reason? Sounds boring, let's read the kindle cliff notes to Philosophy and the Simpsons: every time Homer says "DOH!" we'll take a sip of our Bud Light.") whatever the case they can do better. read more

Amazing selection! Prices were extremely high so we did not purchase much. Wish it was more affordable but really cool to see all the options! read more

Wouldn't suggest anyone rents books through here. The website allows you to order books that the store doesn't have in stock, but if they can't fulfill the order they will automatically upgrade you and bill you accordingly. For example, I purchased a used textbook for $183. They sent me an email saying that my order had shipped but the textbook had been changed to a new one for $245. They give you no chance to approve of the change before shipping it out. It's basically a bait and switch where they offer one low price and then send you something different for a higher price. Now I have to go back to the store, return the overpriced books, not get the expedited shipping cost back, reorder the books from another source for a more reasonable price, and pay expedited shipping again to get my books in time. Huge waste of my time and poor way to run a business. read more

Outside the South Campus B&N hangs an abomination: the art deco marquee of Longs Bookstore. Pilfered from its rightful place on 15th and High, it hangs as symbol of corporate dominance; they came, they conquered, they savagely beat down my dear local textbook depository. It is as if B&N was Edward Longshanks and the sign is the quartered, beheaded, gutted remains of William Wallace, hoisted on the London Bridge as a warning to anyone with indy dreams of rebellion. Or B&G is a redneck hunter out in the sticks, heaving his fresh kill up for bragging rights -- B&N is more barn here than it is noble. I have come here in search of the poetry book that has so far alluded by grasp. Yet I am in a daze. As a walk through the standard sections of literature, fiction, nonfic, and reference hard and paperbacks, I understand, in a much less important way, the pains of Native Americans. They see condos built on sacred burial grounds; here is a big box built on my sacred drinking grounds. This is the plot that once held Mean Mr. Mustards. (and no kiddos, Scully's little retro-parties are not the same.) And so it is like other vanquished south campus spots, falling to the drab corporate plague, that B&G here is part of the prefab sterile clique that has replaced the free-spirited Bacchanal of what once was the grungy glamor of south campus, and I hate. It is enough to make me sick. Oh I suppose this place isn't that bad. I've always enjoyed many B&Gs for its selection, its chairs, its quietness. Here they have gutted the CD/DVD antiques for racks of Ohio State gear, but nothing you can't get at 100 other places. A double level store, upstairs are textbooks and school supplies, an aspect they gained from Longs. I believe they are now the Ohio State official bookstore to boot. Strangely, they have a kiddies section. Absurd in two ways: 1.) being that the average age for the neighborhood can't be more than 24. 2.) it seems that sweet innocent children read in the very place I once threw-up, felt-up, made-out, or had a psychedelic freak out--those dayglow demons near Mustards restrooms could really jump out at you. I really couldn't shop here so I left. Emotionally I want to give this place a 2 --revenge for history and stuff. But to give deference to the staff--who I'm sure do wonderful things as they do at other B&Gs--I'll give it an A-ok. But for the spirit of the area--it certainly has gotten worse. read more

Barnes & Noble - Uggg, *facepalm* At least keep it lit. - Bookstores Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

If I want novels, fiction, non-fiction, or your standard B&N fare I'll go to a 'normal' B&N. If I want textbooks, medical texts, magazines, or Buckeye gear I'll head to High Street. The other reviews here make ZERO sense to me. It is the OSU BOOKSTORE......did you expect them to have nothing to do with the Buckeyes? Did you happen to miss the fact that you're standing on the edge of the largest campus in the US in a city that lives, breathes, and bleeds scarlet and grey? Y'know, I went to the U of M bookstore when I went to the Ann Arbor Art Festival a few weeks back.......believe it or not, they had all kinds of Wolverines gear! When I got off campus, I went to Borders.....less Maize and Blue. Coincidence? I think not. My only complaint about this location is the insanely long lines and pay-parking, otherwise, top notch! read more

3.0 Stars Location Overview: This branch is located on N High between 10th and 11th Ave. This is a very large location but I do not recommend for book readers, more so university students or OSU lovers looking for gifts, clothes and other knick knacks. Customer Service: ...... or the lack of. Only saw two workers in the bookstore section and no one at the cafe area, I had to ask a bookstore associate to get a cafe member over to help me. Quality/Quantity: The quality here was great no hesitant remarks there. However, the quantity of what a B&N bookstore should be was not here. There was a very small selection of each genre of books at this location. They may as well had it as a university text bookstore than a combination of both. If you are looking for your obvious B&N store do not come here. Side Notes: This is a huge branch that is more so dedicated to students not book readers. read more

I'd give 0 stars if I could. Rented a book and returned to a staff member that was definitely 12 and did not know what he was doing. Got a call 1.5 YEARS later from a debt collector saying I owed them money for this textbook. I can't make this up. OSU's Barnes and Noble sent a debt collector after me years after I returned the textbook to threaten me out of a hundred bucks. B&E- train your staff better and get over yourself! read more

Sadly, it's all osu stuff. None of the magic of the Barnes and Noble bookstores of my childhood. The cafe is good, but the book selection is very thin. read more

You got your Buckeyes memorabilia in my bookshop! No, YOU got your books in my Buckeyes memorabilia shop! Eeeeeargh! Enough with it already! The simple fact is this is more or less a full-fledged Barnes & Noble bookshop with a generous nod towards its pedigree not only as The Ohio State University Bookstore but also its replacement of campus icon Long's, which is long gone (get it!). For certain this Barnes & Noble doesn't feel like some of the moodier, roomier, bookier examples of the chain, but I could give a horse phooey about that in the long run. Barnes & Noble looks more or less the same everywhere you go, and it's almost refreshing to step into a unique take on it, something that breaks the pattern of the chain. I'm no Buckeyes fan by any stretch of the imagination, but sometimes I take a stroll through, say, the medical student supply aisles- and just look at all the cool crap they sell. Do I recall seeing stethoscopes there? Probably! How many chain bookstores sell medical devices, eh? This location has also become my destination for selling back textbooks when I take classes. I always seem to walk out with a good chunk of cash and I've never had to wait long. It's slightly more complicated than the ring-in-walk-out at SBX since you have to get a receipt and sign it and hand it to someone else, etc. etc. but there you have it; it keeps me coming back for lunch money at the end of a quarter. Go in, find a good book, and sit upstairs next to a big window with a good view of High Street. Watch people go by. Take a moment. It's a nice little spot for spying on the crowds and just taking it easy. And if you don't want Buckeyes gear, don't buy it. Seems like a no brainer to me! read more

Came here thinking it would be a Barnes & Noble - it seems it's an Ohio state uni bookstore in the shell of a B&N. Unless you go to the local collage/support the sportball team or need textbooks it's really not much use. Thankfully there are others not too far away. read more

First, I know Longs wasn't the greatest, but dammit - at least it wasn't a glitzy chain store. Second: um, some people who wear hoodies and t-shirts are NOT an XXXXXL. Seriously - if you are gonna do this, provide a range of sizes. Third: super classy touch to put the photos of the old Longs by the bathroom. Oh yeah, great location for memorabilia. Bleh. read more

I mostly only come here for the coffee (not my first choice, but my sister comes here daily and I go with her once in a while), but I do love books so I'm prone to poke around from time to time as well. The last time I was there I picked up two Klosterman books and the latest from A.J. Jacobs for $30, basically buy two get one free. Books still rock, and Barnes and Noble sells them. That works for me. The cafe is decent too. The seating is plentiful, although not so cozy, and there is a TV showing terrible music videos that you can make fun of while you sip your drink. read more

Those who have mentioned that this bookstore is half OSU/dorm store and half a bookstore are spot-on. This is a giant, two-level store that includes some of the usual books one would find at a Barnes & Nobles, plus textbooks, school supplies, OSU memorabilia, and dorm supplies. This make it a perfect one-shop stop for students who need a little bit of everything near campus. It also makes it a nice place to browse if you arrive early and are waiting on people or an event/movie time at the Gateway. read more

Is it a Barnes & Noble or is it a college bookstore? I can't decide and neither can it. When they closed Long's Bookstore a few years back, they relocated to the brand new South Campus Gateway Barnes & Noble. About the only thing that really relocated about the old Long's was the sign, which is as much a part of OSU tradition as Brutus Buckeye himself. But nothing about this Barnes & Noble is that fantastic. It's two stories tall, but a lot of the book selection has been erased to make room for OSU apparel and merchandise. Upstairs you can find overpriced school supplies and art supplies. I feel sorry for any freshman Art Major who buys their art supplies here. There's a large section marked off for textbooks, but the staff doesn't let you go back and pick your own textbooks, instead you give them your class and they find the books for you. No thanks. I don't trust anyone to pick out my books but me! CDs and DVDs have also been replaced to make room for OSU merch and textbooks. Not that I would buy either from a Barnes & Noble, but I like to browse. I will give this location bonus points for offering up an impressive selection of specialty magazines. read more

I already like the regular Barnes and Noble. But a two-story one? Get outta town. There is a nice selection of Ohio State memorabilia for dorm shopping and a textbook section for students, although I would try Amazon first before buying them here. If it wasn't so far from my dorm, I would be here every week just browsing to see what book I could buy next. The prices for books are a little steep compared to Amazon, but I'm just happy that book stores are still around. read more

Not only a Barnes & Noble, but if you're attending OSU and need dorm supplies or any clothing item with the Buckeyes logo, this is your one stop shop. I always grab a tee shirt if I'm visiting a college town (currently I have shirts from Pitt, WVU, Cornell, Ithaca College, Marshall, Penn, Princeton, CMU, VTech, and Cincinatti) and I needed a Buckeyes shirt. This B&N had a few dozen designs to choose from, with hundreds of other items emblazoned with the OSU logo including hoodies, sweats, socks, and anything you can imagine. It also serves as the OSU bookstore. read more

I can imagine that this location is crazy anytime people are trying to buy books but thankfully I have never experienced that. The coffee shop inside is a nice touch and they sell nicer than average baked goods and desserts. Good selection of books and gifts, like themed journals, calendars, planners, notes of different kinds, and of course tons and tons of OSU merchandise. No, seriously. Tons of it. Def. worth a visit just because it's kind of becoming a landmark in the gateway and around OSU in general. read more

If books here were a bit lower in price expensive, I'd be a frequent customer! When I do go here, it's nice to peruse around and make a mental wish list. The layout is nice - room to maneuver around, sit down, read, or chat. This visit was for internet usage purposes, and it held up to that mission. Wall outlets are sporadically placed, throughout the Cafe, and decent chairs and tables for the long-hual. I'm not a coffee drinker, but have had their Iced Chai before - good. read more

I would not recommend this Barnes & Noble to anyone buying textbooks. There are many other shops along high street that offer books for much cheaper than the campus book store. I would recommend this place to anyone looking for Ohio State apparel or gifts. They have a large amount of Ohio State products - everything from shot glasses to baby clothes. I hate that parking is so inconvenient, but that is not exclusive to this store. Any place on High Street does not have good parking options. There is a South Campus Gateway parking garage by the bookstore that is $1 an hour. If you live on campus or near campus, it is best to walk. If you are in the area, it is worth stopping in and seeing what Ohio State products they have. read more

I'm a big fan of B&N no doubt about it and I wrote some reviews about it already but this one is slightly different. Being close to the OSU campus of course they sell everything you need as an OSU-student. Besides books you need to study they have all kind of fan articles;-) The store is huge and fun to explore. read more

"Meh. I've experienced better." couldn't justify enough how I feel about this place! With so many great other Barnes and Noble stores, how could this place even compare? However, instead of giving it that dreaded 2 star review- 'The Ohio State University Bookstore' is in it's title, which means I have to give it props for the memorabilia that it does has. Students- I would advise not going here to get your books, it's more expensive and has hardly any used editions. SBX is a safer bet! Also, course packets are to be picked up HERE. Not at Uni-Print. You can also find them at WiredOut in Central Classrooms! :) read more

I like this place mainly as a hangout. At the end of every academic term, I always seem to end up here just to browse around, even though I've recently been preferring to sell my soon-to-be-useless textbooks elsewhere. My favorite sections of the store at which to pass the time are the humor and magazine ones. I also check out the Buckeye paraphernalia, but I tend to prefer to buy at College Traditions or Conrads. I lounge around Sloopy's Café too, and of course, it sells (that overrated) Starbucks Coffee. Whereas the lower level serves the general reader and OSU souvenir shopper, the upper level caters specifically to students' needs and holds textbooks, school supplies, dorm supplies, and academic regalia. The second floor also features a very nice open space with armchairs where a person can study or read literature that he or she won't otherwise purchase. Unsurprisingly, authors hold book signings at the OSU Bookstore, especially Buckeye-affiliated ones (e.g., Eddie George, Chris Spielman, and Mark Titus). So as a general hangout and place to thumb through Columbus Monthly (without ever buying it), the OSU Bookstore off High Street can certainly be a fun way to pass the time while figuring out whether tonight's a good night to troll the partiers at Charlie Bear or Ugly Tuna. read more

I like this Barnes and Noble. I like its prominent location on the corner of High St, and I like that it has two floors worth of product. There is an expansive selection of Ohio State gear on the first floor, and tons of office and school supplies on the second floor. I'm a sucker for office supplies. Textbooks are also housed upstairs. Their fiction and nonfiction sections are far from expansive; the B&N at Lennox has a bigger stock. However, I understand that this location serves multiple purposes. The coffee shop on the first floor is better than average for an in-store. Don't come when school is just starting; it gets outrageously busy. read more

This place makes me miss Long's. As a bookstore, its pretty good. It has plenty of books (textbooks and books for pleasure reading) and a huge selection of anything scarlet and gray that you might ever want. It also has a Starbucks, whilst something that Longs never had, it has never seemed that welcoming as a place to hang out and study to me. What makes me miss Long's, however, is the art supply section. If you ever went downstairs at Longs you might have seen the huge expanse of everything art related you could think of. Now, all that remains is pretty much the same stuff you could get at an office supply store. As a college bookstore, its just like any other bookstore, which is A-OK by me, but nothing that makes me excited to shop here. read more

What a great store. Lots of good books & deals to choose from & everything Buckeye in it!! Doesn't get any better than this. A little bit too much overpriced Nike stuff but some great deals & gear none the less read more

It's a decent B&N but it seems like they sell more overpriced OSU gear than anything else. Not sure how college students can afford shopping for gear here, or anyone else for that matter. At least the employees are friendly. read more

I went to this store to use a coupon on a frame for my diploma. You should have seen how much grief/how hard they tried to not honor the coupon! It was very simple: 20% off one item. Period. about 10 minutes later they honored it, but I have never felt that way at a store before. I would highly recommend exploring every other avenue before going here. The mark-up on OSU gear (and everything else for that matter) is insane. read more

Always have the books you need for classes, but often times have to order them and it's not guaranteed you'll get them by the start of the semester. Also, their return policy says you only have 5 days from the start of the semester to return a book, no matter when you bought it. Management never seems to be around for any kind of returns or overrides, which can cause a line to get backed up, and frequently there's only one person at the cash registers. Most items are overpriced, so I never buy anything but books at this location. Definitely great if you can't find a book anywhere else, but other than that it's my last choice for shopping. read more

This review is for students purchasing books. I bought a particular book on Amazon.com for about 60% of the original cost (was $185 in the bookstore, $116 on Amazon). I recommend looking online for cheaper prices in regards to textbooks. The "renting" books option is typically about 50% of the cost of the books, but obviously, you don't get to keep it. I recommend this option as well. However, they are not consistent about renting books; I rented a textbook for a particular class Summer quarter, but when noticed this book wasn't available for rent during Fall quarter. I asked as to why, and the employees seem relatively unknowledgable; they just said, "Oh, it's just what the higher ups at Barnes & Nobles decide". Overall, not a huge fan; I'll go here if I have to, or I will go here to rent a textbook. read more

Huge selection, the biggest collection of OSU merchandise I have ever seen and textbooks out the wazoo. Parking is difficult to find on the street, just go to the lot off of 11th. Maybe it's just me, but they seem to have more things on clearance than other stores. read more

Number of visit: ~8 I'm not a huge fan of this place, definitely not as a place for getting books. It is true it carries textbooks for Ohio State students, but first of all who buys textbooks at a store anymore these days? Doesn't everyone get them online. Second the prices on the textbooks are even more expensive than some of the other campus bookstores. The selection of other books other than textbooks at this location is pretty lackluster for a Barnes and Noble, definitely fewer to choose from than your average Barnes and Noble. The one saving grace of the store is that it carries a good amount of Buckeye stuff. However, the vast majority of it is wildly overpriced. The one exception I know of is football jerseys, which are $60, the price they are everywhere around campus. They do have a good selection of Ohio State football jerseys, and occasionally you might find a sale on jerseys of players who just graduated, but I'm not sure if they still do that anymore. read more

They wouldn't allow me to return a book that ended up not needed for class. They have a rule that all book returns must be returned by a certain date. However even when a book is bought after the return deadline they won't except it. Awful customer service!!! read more

The worst place imaginable to rent books. Rented a textbook for $75 and was told I'd receive an e-mail and a text when it was due. Never received either. After seeing a charge for $150 on my bank account I became curious. come to find out my due date had come and went, and the appropriate punishment was to charge me for the new price of the book ON TOP of the rental fee. It's like leasing a car and being forced to buy it at sticker price when the lease runs out. Filed w/ BBB. For textbook sales, practically anywhere else on campus is cheaper. For rentals, practically anything else in the world (Chegg) is better. Oh, and you can also pick up overpriced OSU junk hear as well. Non-text books... not so much. If this place has public restrooms it has at least that much going for it. Otherwise, I'd suggest you spend your money practically anywhere else. read more