Mall Purchase: EarthLink Network, the fast-growing Pasadena...

Mall Purchase: EarthLink Network, the fast-growing Pasadena Internet access provider, agreed last week to buy, for an undisclosed sum, Internet in a Mall, a 1-year-old Internet service provider in Tarzana that recruited 27,000 customers from kiosks in shopping centers around the country.

Internet in a Mall staffed its kiosks with employees who patiently described the global computer network and showed the less-than-cutting-edge how to use it. But as with so many other ventures, the business model didn’t quite work: The company filed for bankruptcy protection in February.

The deal marks the first time EarthLink has boosted membership through an acquisition, and it probably won’t be the last, said spokeswoman Kirsten Kappos.

EarthLink’s immediate focus is to keep Internet in a Mall’s operations running smoothly during the technical transition, said EarthLink founder and Chairman Sky Dayton. For the time being, the 27,000 customers will continue to be greeted with the Internet in a Mall home page, but that will be phased out over time.

Still undecided is the fate of scores of kiosks in shopping malls from California to Pennsylvania.