Commonly spearheaded by librarians, Kindle pilot programs are springing up in schools around the country, bringing ereaders to K-12 students, who are cracking the spine, so to speak, on these alternative learning tools. From full adoption of the devices at Clearwater High School in Florida to tentative beta projects, educators are exploring how Kindles and other ereaders can mesh with curricula and enhance learning. Tight budgets notwithstanding, school librarians are keen on digital reading, securing grants to buy Kindles, Nooks, and, in some cases, iPads--acquiring them one by one if need be. While the financial outlay isn't small, many librarians and other educators believe the educational payoff could be huge. With the first-generation device making its debut in November 2007, Amazon's Kindle took some time to wend its way to the K-12 setting. Educators have begun adopting the Kindle for school use, exercising the option of buying a single title and porting it to six different devices, the maximum allowed by Amazon. Some media specialists have contacted Amazon about exceeding that device limit, as well as devising a more school-friendly policy overall, which would facilitate loaning Kindle ebooks in libraries. Still, the company has offered no exceptions or guidelines specific to this group.