"When you can actually give some sort of tangible reason for people in the business community to support the Undergraduate Council, that's the greatest potential for fundraising," says former council Treasurer Sterling P.A. Darling '01 says.

Close relationships with the business world, however, also merit a degree of caution according to current council Treasurer Justin A. Barkley '02.

"Just like [the University] doesn't want students running businesses out of their dorm rooms, they don't like us making business relationships with organizations," he says.

Goals of Expansion

With the fall semester book-buying boom drawing to a close, council members are looking at ways to improve the service for the spring semester.

"We want to increase [UC Book's] versatility to allow you not only to purchase Harvard books, but any book," says Jared Morgenstern '03, a council member and computer science concentrator who is helping improve the site.

Gusmorino also hopes the site will become "a centralized course shopping tool" where students can access the CUE guide, course homepages and department pages through one interface.

Additional development of the UC Books program may also target professors.