diff --git a/docs/source/examples/Widget Events.ipynb b/docs/source/examples/Widget Events.ipynb
index ad12de1b64..1e06ce5410 100644
--- a/docs/source/examples/Widget Events.ipynb	
+++ b/docs/source/examples/Widget Events.ipynb	
@@ -250,18 +250,7 @@
    "source": [
     "### Linking traitlets attributes in the kernel\n",
     "\n",
-    "The first method is to use the `link` and `dlink` functions from the `traitlets` module. This only works if we are interacting with a live kernel."
-   ]
-  },
-  {
-   "cell_type": "code",
-   "execution_count": 6,
-   "metadata": {
-    "collapsed": true
-   },
-   "outputs": [],
-   "source": [
-    "import traitlets"
+    "The first method is to use the `link` and `dlink` functions from the `traitlets` module (these two functions are re-exported by the `ipywidgets` module for convenience). This only works if we are interacting with a live kernel."
    ]
   },
   {
@@ -316,7 +305,7 @@
     "caption = widgets.Label(value='The values of slider1 and slider2 are synchronized')\n",
     "sliders1, slider2 = widgets.IntSlider(description='Slider 1'),\\\n",
     "                    widgets.IntSlider(description='Slider 2')\n",
-    "l = traitlets.link((sliders1, 'value'), (slider2, 'value'))\n",
+    "l = widgets.link((sliders1, 'value'), (slider2, 'value'))\n",
     "display(caption, sliders1, slider2)"
    ]
   },
@@ -372,7 +361,7 @@
     "caption = widgets.Label(value='Changes in source values are reflected in target1')\n",
     "source, target1 = widgets.IntSlider(description='Source'),\\\n",
     "                  widgets.IntSlider(description='Target 1')\n",
-    "dl = traitlets.dlink((source, 'value'), (target1, 'value'))\n",
+    "dl = widgets.dlink((source, 'value'), (target1, 'value'))\n",
     "display(caption, source, target1)"
    ]
   },
@@ -651,15 +640,14 @@
     }
    ],
    "source": [
-    "import traitlets\n",
     "a = widgets.IntSlider(description=\"Delayed\", continuous_update=False)\n",
     "b = widgets.IntText(description=\"Delayed\", continuous_update=False)\n",
     "c = widgets.IntSlider(description=\"Continuous\", continuous_update=True)\n",
     "d = widgets.IntText(description=\"Continuous\", continuous_update=True)\n",
     "\n",
-    "traitlets.link((a, 'value'), (b, 'value'))\n",
-    "traitlets.link((a, 'value'), (c, 'value'))\n",
-    "traitlets.link((a, 'value'), (d, 'value'))\n",
+    "widgets.link((a, 'value'), (b, 'value'))\n",
+    "widgets.link((a, 'value'), (c, 'value'))\n",
+    "widgets.link((a, 'value'), (d, 'value'))\n",
     "widgets.VBox([a,b,c,d])"
    ]
   },
diff --git a/ipywidgets/__init__.py b/ipywidgets/__init__.py
index 56ddbf896f..09da954638 100644
--- a/ipywidgets/__init__.py
+++ b/ipywidgets/__init__.py
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 from IPython import get_ipython
 from ._version import version_info, __version__, __protocol_version__, __jupyter_widgets_controls_version__, __jupyter_widgets_base_version__
 from .widgets import *
+from traitlets import link, dlink
 
 
 def load_ipython_extension(ip):