AT&T and Barnes & Noble will announce a new deal today that gives customers free AT&T Wi-Fi access at B&N stores across the country. The goal, on B&N’s side of the equation, is to tout free access to its apps and of course its eBook library, which now stands at over 700,000 titles. Steve Riggio, CEO of Barnes & Noble, had this to say:

Barnes & Noble pioneered the concept of retail stores as community centers. By providing no-fee Wi-Fi access, we are not only meeting our customers’ needs, but extending the sense of community that has always been in our stores. This is a natural progression of our digital strategy to provide customers with more choices in how, when and where they want to read.

This is great!  Now you can find a book you like…Go online and buy it a lot cheaper some where else for half the price!  Right on the spot!