The last-minute buyer for Kirkus has been revealed; it’s Herb Simon, owner of the Indian Pacers. The New York Times’ Motoko Rich reports the story in the “Media Decoder” blog.

Simon, who made his money as a shopping mall developer, including the Mall of America, is a voracious reader and longtime subscriber who thought it would be a “shame” if the publication folded.

It was also announced that editor Elaine Szewcyzk and managing editor Eric Liebetrau will  continue in their positions and Kirkus will continue as a print publication, with expanded digital offerings.

The new chief executive of the renamed Kirkus Media, Marc Winkelman, told the NYT,

Over the years librarians have submitted a lot of comments to Kirkus about things they would like to see enhanced. We hope to do that and make Kirkus even more relevant in the world of book buying and book reading.

Still on the block, with no potential buyers named, are Library Journal, School Library Journal and Publishers Weekly, all owned by Reed Business Information.

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