Pre-orders for the Nook, Barnes & Noble's (BKS) digital reader, have dramatically exceeded company expectations, delaying the expected shipment of some orders.

GalleyCat spoke with Mary Ellen Keating, Barnes & Noble's Senior VP of corporate communications & public affairs for more details. According to the spokesperson, the first Nook pre-orders will be shipped on November 20. However, the company expects to ship more recent Nook pre-orders on December 11.

Nevertheless, Keating urged holiday shoppers to hurry with pre-orders: "I think we always had high expectations for the device, but what we've seen in terms of preorders has exceeded our expectations," she explained. "We're encouraging people to order soon, we want to make sure people who really want the device get it before the holidays."