Chung, who lives in Cabot House, stressed that CollegeBeans.com is primarily a service, not a business, although the site's creators are soliciting advertisements.

"We're looking for ways the Web can help college students," Chung said. Without the Internet, "you have to post up papers or send lots of e-mails and annoy your friends."

The textbook marketplace has attracted most attention from users, but Ebbel said the site's more helpful feature is another section.

"The page most valuable is called 'My Campus,'" Ebbel said. "It has events that aren't covered by any other calendar--student events, comp meetings. If it applies to everyone on campus, we'll put that up."

Harvard's official calendar lists examination schedules and study card due-dates. The Harvard section of CollegeBeans.com includes links to library hours, movie showtimes, dining hall menus and the phone number of Dial-A-Pizza.

Ebbel said a branch of CollegeBeans.com at the University of California at Los Angeles will be operational within a few days. Affiliated sites at MIT, Boston University and Boston College are also in the works.

Chung said the site will be developed further in November, but he declined to say what the nature of the changes would be.

Ebbel said CollegeBeans.com was contemplating a merger with another college online service called DailyJolt.com, which serves Amherst College and Brown University.