[kranu]

Library book borrowing doesn't work as you would expect anyways. Each library has a limited license of the books, so even though it is digital, only so many people can be reading the book at the same time (often just one book). As a result, there is a really long wait time. It definitely would not work in a school environment.

When you say restrict WiFi access, you're being slightly too general. It could be interpreted as either that you don't want people to connect to other WiFi networks, or you don't want people to use the school network to browse the web. There's no way to stop people from connecting to other WiFi networks, AFAIK. For the other case, if the school network already blocks sites on personal computers (using something like OpenDNS or Endian Firewall), the block should extend to the Kindle WiFi. However, if they use something like K9 web security, which is installed on each computer (so someone who brings their own computer/iPod to school can access the internet freely), it would not block certain websites.

To be honest, I'd think that buying a set of the Sony Pocketreaders would be a better choice. They don't have WiFi (If you plan on letting students use their Kindles to research online, you're dreaming), so students can't get distracted. They're cheaper, and they fully support the EPUB standard and Adobe DRM. I believe that the latest ones use the same screen technology as the Kindles (E-Ink Pearl).

Don't get me wrong: I own and love my Kindle 3G+WiFi, but I just don't believe that it would be fit for a school environment.