diff --git a/docs/environment.yml b/docs/environment.yml
index 55cea9b26..cb88eae3f 100644
--- a/docs/environment.yml
+++ b/docs/environment.yml
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-name: notebook_docs
+name: nbclassic_docs
 channels:
   - conda-forge
 dependencies:
@@ -19,3 +19,5 @@ dependencies:
   - prometheus_client
   - sphinxcontrib_github_alt
   - ipython_genutils
+  - jupyter_server>=1.8
+  - notebook_shim>=0.1.0
diff --git a/nbclassic/__version__.py b/nbclassic/__version__.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 8879c6c77..000000000
--- a/nbclassic/__version__.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-__version__ = "0.3.7"
diff --git a/nbclassic/transutils.py b/nbclassic/transutils.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..eed860aa3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nbclassic/transutils.py
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+"""Translation related utilities. When imported, injects _ to builtins"""
+
+# Copyright (c) Jupyter Development Team.
+# Distributed under the terms of the Modified BSD License.
+
+import os
+import gettext
+
+
+# Set up message catalog access
+base_dir = os.path.realpath(os.path.join(__file__, '..', '..'))
+trans = gettext.translation('notebook', localedir=os.path.join(base_dir, 'notebook/i18n'), fallback=True)
+_ = trans.gettext