diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/notes/api.py b/lms/djangoapps/notes/api.py
index c20891748f..b0ee45c890 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/notes/api.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/notes/api.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 from django.http import HttpResponse, Http404
+from django.core.exceptions import ValidationError
 from notes.models import Note
 import json
 import logging
@@ -73,13 +74,19 @@ def api_format(request, response, data):
 # Exposed API actions via the resource map.
 
 def index(request, course_id):
-    notes = Note.objects.all()
+    notes = Note.objects.filter(course_id=course_id, user=request.user)
     return [HttpResponse(), [note.as_dict() for note in notes]]
 
 def create(request, course_id):
-    note = Note(course_id=course_id, body=request.body, user=request.user)
-    note.save()
+    note = Note(course_id=course_id, user=request.user)
 
+    try:
+        note.clean(request.body)
+    except ValidationError as e:
+        log.debug(e)
+        return [HttpResponse('', status=500), None]
+
+    note.save()
     response = HttpResponse('', status=303)
     response['Location'] = note.get_absolute_url()
 
@@ -105,8 +112,13 @@ def update(request, course_id, note_id):
     if not note.user.id == request.user.id:
         return [HttpResponse('', status=403)]
 
-    note.body = request.body
-    note.save(update_fields=['body', 'updated'])
+    try:
+        note.clean(request.body)
+    except ValidationError as e:
+        log.debug(e)
+        return [HttpResponse('', status=500), None]
+
+    note.save(update_fields=['text', 'tags', 'updated'])
 
     return [HttpResponse('', status=303), None]
 
@@ -124,7 +136,20 @@ def delete(request, course_id, note_id):
     return [HttpResponse('', status=204), None]
 
 def search(request, course_id):
-    return [HttpResponse(), []]
+    limit = request.GET.get('limit')
+    uri = request.GET.get('uri')
+
+    filters = {'course_id':course_id, 'user':request.user}
+    if uri is not None:
+        filters['uri'] = uri
+
+    notes = Note.objects.filter(**filters)
+    #if limit is not None and limit > 0:
+        #notes = notes[:limit]
+
+    result = {'rows': [note.as_dict() for note in notes]}
+
+    return [HttpResponse(), result]
 
 def version(request, course_id):
     return [HttpResponse(), {'name': 'Notes API', 'version': '1.0'}]
diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/notes/models.py b/lms/djangoapps/notes/models.py
index 0779cb5fcd..3534cd9a44 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/notes/models.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/notes/models.py
@@ -1,25 +1,69 @@
 from django.db import models
 from django.contrib.auth.models import User
 from django.core.urlresolvers import reverse
+from django.core.exceptions import ValidationError
 
 import json
+import logging
+
+log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 class Note(models.Model):
     user = models.ForeignKey(User, db_index=True)
     course_id = models.CharField(max_length=255, db_index=True)
+    uri = models.CharField(max_length=1024, db_index=True)
+    text = models.TextField(default="")
+    quote = models.TextField(default="")
+    range_start = models.CharField(max_length=2048)
+    range_start_offset = models.IntegerField()
+    range_end = models.CharField(max_length=2048)
+    range_end_offset = models.IntegerField()
+    tags = models.TextField(default="") # comma-separated string
     created = models.DateTimeField(auto_now_add=True, null=True, db_index=True)
     updated = models.DateTimeField(auto_now=True, db_index=True)
-    body = models.TextField()
+
+    def clean(self, json_body):
+        if json_body is None:
+            raise ValidationError('Note must have a body.')
+
+        body = json.loads(json_body)
+        if not type(body) is dict:
+            raise ValidationError('Note body must be a dictionary.')
+
+        self.uri = body.get('uri')
+        self.text = body.get('text')
+        self.quote = body.get('quote')
+
+        ranges = body.get('ranges')
+        if ranges is None or len(ranges) != 1:
+            raise ValidationError('Note must contain exactly one range.')
+
+        self.range_start = ranges[0]['start']
+        self.range_start_offset = ranges[0]['startOffset']
+        self.range_end = ranges[0]['end']
+        self.range_end_offset = ranges[0]['endOffset']
+
+        self.tags = ""
+        tags = body.get('tags', [])
+        if len(tags) > 0:
+            self.tags = ",".join(tags)
 
     def get_absolute_url(self):
         kwargs = {'course_id': self.course_id, 'note_id': str(self.id)}
         return reverse('notes_api_note', kwargs=kwargs)
 
     def as_dict(self):
-        d = {}
-        json_body = json.loads(self.body)
-        if type(json_body) is dict:
-            d.update(json_body)
-        d['id'] = self.id
-        d['user_id'] = self.user.id
-        return d
\ No newline at end of file
+        return {
+            'id': self.id,
+            'user_id': self.user.id,
+            'uri': self.uri,
+            'text': self.text,
+            'quote': self.quote,
+            'ranges': [{
+                'start': self.range_start,
+                'startOffset': self.range_start_offset,
+                'end': self.range_end,
+                'endOffset': self.range_end_offset
+            }],
+            'tags': self.tags.split(",")
+        }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/notes/urls.py b/lms/djangoapps/notes/urls.py
index 92aeaa1c2a..7811a5f044 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/notes/urls.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/notes/urls.py
@@ -5,5 +5,5 @@ urlpatterns = patterns('notes.api',
     url(r'^api$', 'api_request', {'resource':'root'}, name='notes_api_root'),
     url(r'^api/annotations$', 'api_request', {'resource':'notes'}, name='notes_api_notes'),
     url(r'^api/annotations/' + id_regex + r'$', 'api_request', {'resource':'note'}, name='notes_api_note'),
-    url(r'^api/annotations/search$', 'api_request', {'resource':'search'}, name='notes_api_search')
+    url(r'^api/search', 'api_request', {'resource':'search'}, name='notes_api_search')
 )
diff --git a/lms/static/coffee/src/notes.coffee b/lms/static/coffee/src/notes.coffee
index 7ab9fbb13a..5153939427 100644
--- a/lms/static/coffee/src/notes.coffee
+++ b/lms/static/coffee/src/notes.coffee
@@ -1,47 +1,74 @@
 class StudentNotes
     _debug: true
 
-    targets: [] # elements with annotator() instances
+    targets: [] # holds elements with annotator() instances
 
+    # Adds a listener for "notes" events that may bubble up from descendants.
     constructor: ($, el) ->
         console.log 'student notes init', arguments, this if @_debug
 
-        if $(el).data('notes-ready') isnt 'yes'
-            $(el).delegate '*', 'notes:init': @onInitNotes
-            $(el).data('notes-ready', 'yes')
+        if not $(el).data('notes-instance')
+            events = 'notes:init': @onInitNotes
+            $(el).delegate('*', events)
+            $(el).data('notes-instance', @)
 
-    onInitNotes: (event, annotationData=null) =>
+    # Initializes annotations on a container element in response to an init event.
+    onInitNotes: (event, uri=null) =>
         event.stopPropagation()
 
+        storeConfig = @getStoreConfig uri
         found = @targets.some (target) -> target is event.target
 
         if found
             annotator = $(event.target).data('annotator')
-            store = annotator.plugins['Store']
-            store.options.annotationData = annotationData if annotationData
-            store.loadAnnotations()
+            if annotator
+                store = annotator.plugins['Store']
+                $.extend(store.options, storeConfig)
+                if uri
+                    store.loadAnnotationsFromSearch(storeConfig['loadFromSearch'])
+                else
+                    console.log 'URI is required to load annotations'
+            else
+                console.log 'No annotator() instance found for target: ', event.target
         else
             $(event.target).annotator()
                 .annotator('addPlugin', 'Tags')
-                .annotator('addPlugin', 'Store', @getStoreConfig(annotationData))
+                .annotator('addPlugin', 'Store', storeConfig)
             @targets.push(event.target)
 
-    getStoreConfig: (annotationData) ->
-        storeConfig =
-            prefix: @getPrefix()
-            annotationData:
-                uri: @getURIPath() # defaults to current URI path
+    # Returns a JSON config object that can be passed to the annotator Store plugin
+    getStoreConfig: (uri) ->
+        prefix = @getPrefix()
+        if uri is null
+            console.log 'getURIPath()', uri, @getURIPath()
+            uri = @getURIPath()
 
-        $.extend storeConfig.annotationData, annotationData  if annotationData
+        storeConfig =
+            prefix: prefix
+            loadFromSearch:
+                uri: uri
+                limit: 0
+            annotationData:
+                uri: uri
         storeConfig
 
+    # Returns the API endpoint for the annotation store
     getPrefix: () ->
         re = /^(\/courses\/[^/]+\/[^/]+\/[^/]+)/
         match = re.exec(@getURIPath())
         prefix = (if match then match[1] else '')
         return "#{prefix}/notes/api"
 
+    # Returns the URI path of the current page for filtering annotations
     getURIPath: () ->
         window.location.href.toString().split(window.location.host)[1]
 
-$(document).ready ($) -> new StudentNotes($, this)
\ No newline at end of file
+
+# Enable notes by default on the document root.
+# To initialize annotations on a container element in the document:
+#
+#   $('#myElement').trigger('notes:init');
+#
+# Comment this line to disable notes.
+
+$(document).ready ($) -> new StudentNotes $, @
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/lms/templates/static_htmlbook.html b/lms/templates/static_htmlbook.html
index bea211ae47..2d65e6aae7 100644
--- a/lms/templates/static_htmlbook.html
+++ b/lms/templates/static_htmlbook.html
@@ -33,8 +33,7 @@
 
         var onComplete = function(url) {
             return function() {
-                var annotationData = { 'uri': url }
-                $('#viewerContainer').trigger('notes:init', [annotationData]);
+                $('#viewerContainer').trigger('notes:init', [url]);
             }
         };