Len Riggio has been involved in bookselling for more than 45 years, but none of those years has been more eventful than 2010 when, as chairman of Barnes & Noble, he led the country’s largest bookseller full bore into the digital and e-commerce worlds. 2010 was marked by a commitment to spend $140 million to upgrade B&N’s digital capabilities, the surprise launch of the Nookcolor and rapid growth in sales of e-content and digital devices. And while the focus has been on digital growth, Riggio remains committed to keeping B&N the largest owner of bricks-and-mortar bookstores, a commitment deeply appreciated by publishers. For his accomplishments in 2010, Riggio is PW’s Person of the Year.
To read an interview with Riggio, and to find out other industry members who are being honored for their contribution to the industry in 2010, see the December 6 issue of PW.
