diff --git a/chrome/chromeFiles/content/scholar/include.js b/chrome/chromeFiles/content/scholar/include.js
index de0c6d71c8..2ab2956790 100644
--- a/chrome/chromeFiles/content/scholar/include.js
+++ b/chrome/chromeFiles/content/scholar/include.js
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
-var Scholar_browserWindow = Components.classes["@mozilla.org/appshell/window-mediator;1"]
-				.getService(Components.interfaces.nsIWindowMediator)
-				.getMostRecentWindow("navigator:browser");
-				
-const SCHOLAR_CONFIG = Scholar_browserWindow.SCHOLAR_CONFIG;
-var Scholar = Scholar_browserWindow.Scholar;
+var Scholar = Components.classes["@chnm.gmu.edu/Scholar;1"]
+				// Currently uses only nsISupports
+				//.getService(Components.interfaces.chnmIScholarService).
+				.getService(Components.interfaces.nsISupports)
+				.wrappedJSObject;
diff --git a/chrome/chromeFiles/content/scholar/overlay.js b/chrome/chromeFiles/content/scholar/overlay.js
index e763982200..14c71e5197 100644
--- a/chrome/chromeFiles/content/scholar/overlay.js
+++ b/chrome/chromeFiles/content/scholar/overlay.js
@@ -11,29 +11,42 @@ const SCHOLAR_CONFIG = {
  * Core functions
  */
 var Scholar = new function(){
-	var _initialized = false
+	var _initialized = false;
+	var _localizedStringBundle;
 	
-	this.testString = 'Sidebar is not registered';
-	this.LocalizedStrings;
+	// Privileged (public) methods
 	this.init = init;
 	this.debug = debug;
 	this.varDump = varDump;
+	this.getString = getString;
 	this.flattenArguments = flattenArguments;
 	this.join = join;
+	
 	this.Hash = Hash;
 	
 	/*
 	 * Initialize the extension
 	 */
 	function init(){
-		this.LocalizedStrings = document.getElementById('scholar-strings');
-		
-		if (!_initialized){
-			Scholar.DB.updateSchema();
-			_initialized = true;
-			return true;
+		if (_initialized){
+			return false;
 		}
-		return false;
+		
+		Scholar.DB.updateSchema();
+		
+		// Load in the localization stringbundle for use by getString(name)
+		var src = 'chrome://scholar/locale/scholar.properties';
+		var localeService =
+			Components.classes["@mozilla.org/intl/nslocaleservice;1"]
+			.getService(Components.interfaces.nsILocaleService);
+		var appLocale = localeService.getApplicationLocale();
+		var stringBundleService =
+			Components.classes["@mozilla.org/intl/stringbundle;1"]
+			.getService(Components.interfaces.nsIStringBundleService);
+		_localizedStringBundle = stringBundleService.createBundle(src, appLocale);
+		
+		_initialized = true;
+		return true;
 	}
 	
 	
@@ -117,6 +130,11 @@ var Scholar = new function(){
 	}
 	
 	
+	function getString(name){
+		return _localizedStringBundle.GetStringFromName(name);
+	}
+	
+	
 	/*
 	 * Flattens mixed arrays/values in a passed _arguments_ object and returns
 	 * an array of values -- allows for functions to accept both arrays of
@@ -226,5 +244,3 @@ Scholar.Hash.prototype.remove = function(in_key){
 Scholar.Hash.prototype.has = function(in_key){
 	return typeof(this.items[in_key]) != 'undefined';
 }
-
-window.addEventListener("load", function(e) { Scholar.init(e); }, false);
diff --git a/chrome/chromeFiles/content/scholar/overlay.xul b/chrome/chromeFiles/content/scholar/overlay.xul
index b9eb20525d..9d0a9b53f7 100644
--- a/chrome/chromeFiles/content/scholar/overlay.xul
+++ b/chrome/chromeFiles/content/scholar/overlay.xul
@@ -5,18 +5,21 @@
 <overlay id="scholar"
 	xmlns="http://www.mozilla.org/keymaster/gatekeeper/there.is.only.xul">
 	
-	<script src="overlay.js"/>
-	<script src="db.js"/>
-	<script src="data_access.js"/>
-	
-	<stringbundleset id="stringbundleset">
-		<stringbundle id="scholar-strings" src="chrome://scholar/locale/scholar.properties"/>
-	</stringbundleset>
+    <!-- Include the global XPCOM object -->
+	<script src="include.js"/>
 	
 	<statusbar id="status-bar">
-		<statusbarpanel onclick="alert(Scholar.testString)" id="my-panel" label="&statusbarpanel.helloworld;"/>
+		<statusbarpanel id="scholar-load-status" label="Scholar is NOT loaded"/>
 	</statusbar>
 	
+	<script>
+	window.addEventListener('load', function(e){
+		if (Scholar){
+			document.getElementById('scholar-load-status').setAttribute('label', 'Scholar is loaded');
+		}
+	}, false);
+	</script>
+	
 	<menupopup id="menu_ToolsPopup">
 		<menuseparator id="scholarSeparator" insertbefore="devToolsSeparator"/>
 		<menuitem id="tools-scholar" insertbefore="devToolsSeparator"
diff --git a/chrome/chromeFiles/content/scholar/scholar.js b/chrome/chromeFiles/content/scholar/scholar.js
index 8424f148e7..69c1c54f8b 100644
--- a/chrome/chromeFiles/content/scholar/scholar.js
+++ b/chrome/chromeFiles/content/scholar/scholar.js
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ function init()
 	for(var i = 0; i<itemTypes.length; i++)
 	{
 		var menuitem = document.createElement("menuitem");
-		menuitem.setAttribute("label",Scholar.LocalizedStrings.getString("itemTypes."+itemTypes[i]['name']));
+		menuitem.setAttribute("label", Scholar.getString("itemTypes."+itemTypes[i]['name']));
 		menuitem.setAttribute("oncommand","newItem("+itemTypes[i]['id']+")");
 		addMenu.appendChild(menuitem);
 	}
diff --git a/chrome/chromeFiles/content/scholar/scholar.xul b/chrome/chromeFiles/content/scholar/scholar.xul
index aa011797f1..b21751aeaa 100644
--- a/chrome/chromeFiles/content/scholar/scholar.xul
+++ b/chrome/chromeFiles/content/scholar/scholar.xul
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
     width="1000" height="700" screenX="20" screenY="20"
     persist="width height screenX screenY sizemode"
     windowtype="scholar:window"
-    onload="Scholar.init(); init();"
+    onload="init();"
     xmlns="http://www.mozilla.org/keymaster/gatekeeper/there.is.only.xul">
 
 	<script type="application/x-javascript" src="chrome://global/content/globalOverlay.js"/>
@@ -19,21 +19,16 @@
 	<script type="application/x-javascript" src="chrome://global/content/nsTransferable.js"/>
 	<script type="application/x-javascript" src="chrome://browser/content/utilityOverlay.js"/>
 
-    <!-- Include these until we get a global XPCOM object: -->
-	<script src="overlay.js"/>
-	<script src="db.js"/>
-	<script src="data_access.js"/>
+    <!-- Include the global XPCOM object -->
+	<script src="include.js"/>
 	
     <script src="scholar.js"/>
     <script src="treeView.js"/>
     
-    <stringbundleset id="stringbundleset"/>
 	<commandset id="baseMenuCommandSet" />
 	<keyset id="baseMenuKeyset" />
 	<keyset id="editMenuKeys"/>
 	
-	<stringbundle id="scholar-strings" src="chrome://scholar/locale/scholar.properties"/>
-	
 	<command id="cmd_close" oncommand="closeWindow(true);"/>
 	<command id="cmd_delete" oncommand="deleteSelection()"/>
 	<command id="cmd_scholar_newItem" oncommand="newItem(1);"/>
diff --git a/chrome/chromeFiles/content/scholar/test/test.xul b/chrome/chromeFiles/content/scholar/test/test.xul
index 425dda9a54..9ba04770fa 100644
--- a/chrome/chromeFiles/content/scholar/test/test.xul
+++ b/chrome/chromeFiles/content/scholar/test/test.xul
@@ -9,10 +9,8 @@
 	xmlns="http://www.mozilla.org/keymaster/gatekeeper/there.is.only.xul"
 	style="padding:2em">
 	
-	<script src="../overlay.js"/>
-	<script src="../db.js"/>
-	
+	<script src="../include.js"/>
 	<script src="test.js"/>
 	
-	<label>I am a test page.</label>
+	<label></label>
 </window>
diff --git a/chrome/chromeFiles/locale/en-US/scholar/scholar.dtd b/chrome/chromeFiles/locale/en-US/scholar/scholar.dtd
index a555e83647..20ce4f6b0b 100644
--- a/chrome/chromeFiles/locale/en-US/scholar/scholar.dtd
+++ b/chrome/chromeFiles/locale/en-US/scholar/scholar.dtd
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-<!ENTITY statusbarpanel.helloworld "Hello, World">
-
 <!ENTITY items.title_column "Title">
 <!ENTITY items.creator_column "Creator">
 <!ENTITY items.source_column "Source">
diff --git a/components/chnmIScholarService.js b/components/chnmIScholarService.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..abbb222c9d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/components/chnmIScholarService.js
@@ -0,0 +1,121 @@
+const SCHOLAR_CONTRACTID = '@chnm.gmu.edu/Scholar;1';
+const SCHOLAR_CLASSNAME = 'Firefox Scholar';
+const SCHOLAR_CID = Components.ID('{e4c61080-ec2d-11da-8ad9-0800200c9a66}');
+const SCHOLAR_IID = Components.interfaces.chnmIScholarService;
+
+const Cc = Components.classes;
+const Ci = Components.interfaces;
+
+// Assign the global scope to a variable to passed via wrappedJSObject
+var ScholarWrapped = this;
+
+
+/********************************************************************
+* Include the core objects to be stored within XPCOM
+*********************************************************************/
+
+Cc["@mozilla.org/moz/jssubscript-loader;1"]
+	.getService(Ci.mozIJSSubScriptLoader)
+	.loadSubScript("chrome://scholar/content/overlay.js");
+
+
+Cc["@mozilla.org/moz/jssubscript-loader;1"]
+	.getService(Ci.mozIJSSubScriptLoader)
+	.loadSubScript("chrome://scholar/content/db.js");
+
+Cc["@mozilla.org/moz/jssubscript-loader;1"]
+	.getService(Ci.mozIJSSubScriptLoader)
+	.loadSubScript("chrome://scholar/content/data_access.js");
+
+/********************************************************************/
+
+
+// Initialize the Scholar service
+//
+// This runs when ScholarService is first requested.
+// Calls to other XPCOM components must be in here rather than in top-level
+// code, as other components may not have yet been initialized.
+function setupService(){
+	Scholar.init();
+}
+
+function ScholarService(){
+	this.wrappedJSObject = ScholarWrapped.Scholar;
+	setupService();
+}
+
+
+/**
+* Convenience method to replicate window.alert()
+**/
+function alert(msg){
+	Cc["@mozilla.org/embedcomp/prompt-service;1"]
+		.getService(Ci.nsIPromptService)
+		.alert(null, "", msg);
+}
+
+
+//
+// XPCOM goop
+//
+ScholarService.prototype = {
+	QueryInterface: function(iid){
+		if (!iid.equals(Components.interfaces.nsISupports) &&
+			!iid.equals(SCHOLAR_IID)){
+			throw Components.results.NS_ERROR_NO_INTERFACE;
+		}
+		return this;
+	}
+};
+
+
+var ScholarFactory = {
+	createInstance: function(outer, iid){
+		if (outer != null){
+			throw Components.results.NS_ERROR_NO_AGGREGATION;
+		}
+		return new ScholarService().QueryInterface(iid);
+	}
+};
+
+
+var ScholarModule = {
+	_firstTime: true,
+	
+	registerSelf: function(compMgr, fileSpec, location, type){
+		if (!this._firstTime){
+			throw Components.results.NS_ERROR_FACTORY_REGISTER_AGAIN;
+		}
+		this._firstTime = false;
+		
+		compMgr =
+			compMgr.QueryInterface(Components.interfaces.nsIComponentRegistrar);
+		
+		compMgr.registerFactoryLocation(SCHOLAR_CID,
+										SCHOLAR_CLASSNAME,
+										SCHOLAR_CONTRACTID,
+										fileSpec,
+										location,
+										type);
+	},
+	
+	unregisterSelf: function(compMgr, location, type){
+		compMgr =
+			compMgr.QueryInterface(Components.interfaces.nsIComponentRegistrar);
+		compMgr.unregisterFactoryLocation(SCHOLAR_CID, location);
+	},
+	
+	getClassObject: function(compMgr, cid, iid){
+		if (!cid.equals(SCHOLAR_CID)){
+			throw Components.results.NS_ERROR_NO_INTERFACE;
+		}
+		if (!iid.equals(Components.interfaces.nsIFactory)){
+			throw Components.results.NS_ERROR_NOT_IMPLEMENTED;
+		}
+		return ScholarFactory;
+	},
+	
+	canUnload: function(compMgr){ return true; }
+};
+
+function NSGetModule(comMgr, fileSpec){ return ScholarModule; }