diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/assets.py b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/assets.py
index 478e5a6107..64be433de1 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/assets.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/assets.py
@@ -35,6 +35,35 @@ from .access import get_location_and_verify_access
 __all__ = ['asset_index', 'upload_asset', 'import_course', 'generate_export_course', 'export_course']
 
 
+def assets_to_json_dict(assets):
+    ret = []
+    for asset in assets:
+        obj = {
+            "name": asset.get("displayname", ""),
+            "chunkSize": asset.get("chunkSize", 0),
+            "path": asset.get("filename", ""),
+            "length": asset.get("length", 0),
+        }
+        uploaded = asset.get("uploadDate")
+        if uploaded:
+            obj["uploaded"] = uploaded.isoformat()
+        thumbnail = asset.get("thumbnail_location")
+        if thumbnail:
+            obj["thumbnail"] = thumbnail
+        idInfo = asset.get("_id")
+        if idInfo:
+            obj["id"] = "/{tag}/{org}/{course}/{revision}/{category}/{name}".format(
+                org=idInfo.get("org", ""),
+                course=idInfo.get("course", ""),
+                revision=idInfo.get("revision", ""),
+                tag=idInfo.get("tag", ""),
+                category=idInfo.get("category", ""),
+                name=idInfo.get("name", ""),
+            )
+        ret.append(obj)
+    return ret
+
+
 @login_required
 @ensure_csrf_cookie
 def asset_index(request, org, course, name):
@@ -59,6 +88,9 @@ def asset_index(request, org, course, name):
     # sort in reverse upload date order
     assets = sorted(assets, key=lambda asset: asset['uploadDate'], reverse=True)
 
+    if request.META.get('HTTP_ACCEPT', "").startswith("application/json"):
+        return HttpResponse(json.dumps(assets_to_json_dict(assets)), content_type="application/json")
+
     asset_display = []
     for asset in assets:
         asset_id = asset['_id']
diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/course.py b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/course.py
index 6d45d5f62a..0293421bea 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/course.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views/course.py
@@ -16,6 +16,9 @@ from xmodule.modulestore.exceptions import (
     ItemNotFoundError, InvalidLocationError)
 from xmodule.modulestore import Location
 
+from xmodule.contentstore.django import contentstore
+from xmodule.contentstore.content import StaticContent
+
 from contentstore.course_info_model import (
     get_course_updates, update_course_updates, delete_course_update)
 from contentstore.utils import (
@@ -29,6 +32,7 @@ from auth.authz import create_all_course_groups, is_user_in_creator_group
 from util.json_request import expect_json
 
 from .access import has_access, get_location_and_verify_access
+from .assets import assets_to_json_dict
 from .requests import get_request_method
 from .tabs import initialize_course_tabs
 from .component import (
@@ -424,13 +428,23 @@ def textbook_index(request, org, course, name):
     upload_asset_callback_url = reverse('upload_asset', kwargs={
         'org': org,
         'course': course,
-        'coursename': name
+        'coursename': name,
+    })
+    asset_index_url = reverse('asset_index', kwargs={
+        'org': org,
+        'course': course,
+        'name': name,
     })
 
+    course_reference = StaticContent.compute_location(org, course, name)
+    assets_db_objs = contentstore().get_all_content_for_course(course_reference)
+    assets_json_objs = assets_to_json_dict(assets_db_objs)
     location = get_location_and_verify_access(request, org, course, name)
-    course = modulestore().get_item(location, depth=3)
+    course_obj = modulestore().get_item(location, depth=3)
     return render_to_response('textbooks.html', {
-        'context_course': course,
-        'course': course,
+        'context_course': course_obj,
+        'course': course_obj,
+        'assets': assets_json_objs,
         'upload_asset_callback_url': upload_asset_callback_url,
+        'asset_index_url': asset_index_url,
     })
diff --git a/cms/templates/textbooks.html b/cms/templates/textbooks.html
index 273d399566..930757b37f 100644
--- a/cms/templates/textbooks.html
+++ b/cms/templates/textbooks.html
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 <%inherit file="base.html" />
 <%namespace name='static' file='static_content.html'/>
+<%! import json %>
 
 <%block name="title">Textbooks</%block>
 <%block name="bodyclass">is-signedin course textbooks</%block>
@@ -25,6 +26,7 @@
 <%block name="jsextra">
 <script type="text/javascript">
 window.UPLOAD_ASSET_CALLBACK_URL = "${upload_asset_callback_url}"
+window.ASSET_INDEX_URL = "${asset_index_url}"
 
 CMS.Models.Textbook = Backbone.Model.extend({
     defaults: {
@@ -146,6 +148,7 @@ CMS.Views.TextbookEdit = Backbone.View.extend({
 })
 CMS.Collections.TextbookSet = Backbone.Collection.extend({
     model: CMS.Models.Textbook,
+    url: ASSET_INDEX_URL,
     initialize: function() {
         this.listenTo(this, "editOne", this.editOne);
     },
@@ -358,7 +361,7 @@ var section = new CMS.Models.Section({
     id: "${course.id}",
     name: "${course.display_name_with_default | h}"
 });
-var textbooks = new CMS.Collections.TextbookSet();
+var textbooks = new CMS.Collections.TextbookSet(${json.dumps(assets)});
 var tbView = new CMS.Views.ListTextbooks({collection: textbooks});
 
 $(function() {