Powell said surveys and research indicated that "students wanted a store for the academic community."

To meet that need, the Coop hired Barnes and Noble in 1995 to serve as a "manager of operations" and to oversee the day-to-day running of the business.

"We couldn't have done this alone," Powell said. "We needed a partner."

Murphy emphasized that although Barnes and Noble will play a large role in the management of the remodeled stores, the Coop name, inventory and cooperative nature of the society will remain.

In addition, Coop officials are taking steps to maintain the "Harvard feel" of the historic Cooperative.

"We want to maintain architectural character of the Great Room," Powell said.

"The pillars will remain and the coloration will not be Barnes and Noble greens, it will be Harvard reds."

Flanagan said Hirsch Contractors, also in charge of the recent renovations to the Coops at Kendall Square and at Longwood Medical Center, plans to establish much of the grandeur and structural detail characteristic of a restored historic building.

Additions to the great Hall will include a catwalk to add more room for bookshelves, as well as a grand staircase toward the back of the store.

Although there are several additions and alterations planned for the project, the Coop will be losing approximately twenty-percent of its selling space, Murphy said.

The building that housed the store's stationery department for decades will no longer be a part of the Cooperative after this year.

When BankBoston, owner of the Stationery Building, failed to renew the Coop's lease for an extended period of time, the Coop decided to use their option to leave the building in 1998, Powell said.

The Coop has factored this loss of space into their merchandising strategy and has slightly reduced the depth of their product line.

Murphy said the Coop will reduce the stock of certain items rather than eliminating breadth.

This type of restructuring is designed to bring profits back to the Coop.