Google NotebookLM: Quick Start Guide

Overwhelmed by AI tools? There’s so many out there, it’s hard to know where to start. If you spend any time on the socials, you’ll see people arguing that one LLM is better than the other. It has a faster/quicker/larger context. Does any of this actually matter for what you’re trying to do? Maybe if you’re a programmer if the specs are super important.

However, if you fall into the non-technical camp, what tool should you use? They all have strengths and weaknesses.

So, as someone who spends most of my day in writing tasks (a bit of coding – more on that in the next posts), my priority was to find the best tool to help with ‘writing.’ But here’s the thing. I don’t want it to do any actual writing.

Instead, I want it to help with things like gathering case studies, downloading white papers, proofing my drafts for structural errors, while also maintaining an easy-to-access online repository. Having docs scattered all over the place isn’t very helpful.

Now, wouldn’t it be ideal if you could do all of that with an LLM?

You can. But I’ve found that there’s limitations in this approach. For example, I can create a GPT in ChatGPT, but it doesn’t allow me to select which specific sources I want to examine. For instance, let’s say I’ve downloaded ten white papers but only want to interrogate the LLM (ask it questions) about those written in the last year, it can be hard to do this. It’s possible, but it requires a bit of finangling.

However, after examining lots of LLMs, I stumbled across NotebookLM before Christmas. This product tends to be overlooked as it’s not an LLM in the way most people think about. Rather, it’s designed for a specific use case – maintaining an online notebook for long-form content development that’s supported by AI technologies.

Here’s how it works. You create a new project, such as White Paper on Blue Water Therapy. Inside the project, you can add PDFs, Word files, copy/paste text, and even link to websites. These are your ‘sources.’ And you can add/delete these as you wish.

Next, you can ask NotebookLM questions about the source material. For instance:

• “Identify the top five trends mentioned in the source files?”
• “Provide a list of quotes about the benefits of blue water therapy and credit the sources.”
• “Create an FAQ based on the material I gave you.”
• And one of my favorites: “Provide a timeline that shows the growing popularity of blue water therapy.”

And so on… Using this approach, it will examine the sources (and the websites, remember) then collate the data in its response. For me, this is a massive time saver. It speeds up the research process, centralizes all of my documents, and provides me with a starting point for my first draft.

Sounds interesting?

To help you get started, I’ve created a Quick Start Guide that explains how it works in non-technical terms.

PS – I’ll create a PDF in the coming weeks which you can download. If you subscribe to the email, you’ll get a reminder.

What is Klariti’s Quick Start Guide for NotebookLM?

This online guide from Klariti is designed to help non-technical users learn how to use NotebookLM to write, research, and collaborate, particularly on long documents. It shows how to create notebooks, organize sources, and use AI tools to create summaries and Q&As.

The following Table of Contents shows you what’s included in the guide. Every week, we’ll explore one particular area. If there’s something you’d like us to cover, please reach out to us.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

• Welcome to Klariti’s Guide to NotebookLM
• What is NotebookLM?
• Who is this Guide For?

2. Key Features and Benefits

• AI-Powered Summaries and Insights
• Real-Time Collaboration
• Interactive Q&A
• Customizable Organization
• Audio Overviews and Podcasts

3. Target Audience and Use Cases

• Technical Writers
• Researchers
• Project Managers
• Students
• Content Creators

4. How NotebookLM Adds Value

• Example: Managing Risk Management Documents
• Benefits of Using NotebookLM

5. Getting Started with NotebookLM

• Sign Up and Explore
• Experiment with Features
• Collaborate with Your Team
• Integrate with Other Tools
• Refine Your Workflow

6. How I Use NotebookLM in Technical Writing

• Daily Workflow
• Benefits Over Other Tools

7. Accessing NotebookLM

• System Requirements
• Creating an Account and Logging In
• What to Do After Setting Up Your Account

8. Understanding the NotebookLM Interface

• Dashboard Overview
• Key Components: Sources Panel, Chat Panel, Studio Panel
• Customizing Your Workspace

9. Best Practices for Knowledge Workers Using NotebookLM

• Efficient Information Management
• Leveraging AI for Research and Analysis
• Maintaining Data Privacy and Security
• How to Apply These Best Practices

10. Managing Notebooks

• Creating a New Notebook
• Adding Sources to Your Notebook
• Organizing Your Notebooks
• Setting Up Collaborative Notebooks
• Best Practices for Managing Your Sources

11. Organizing Thematic Notebooks

• What is a Thematic Notebook?
• Creating Thematic Notebooks
• Creating a Catchall Notebook
• Using Consistent Naming Conventions
• Tags and Categories
• Archiving Completed Projects
• Synchronizing and Updating Regularly
• Sharing and Collaborating

12. Interacting with Sources in NotebookLM

• Generating Summaries and Key Topics
• Asking Questions and Receiving Answers
• Using Inline Citations
• Creating Study Guides and FAQs
• Creating Podcasts

13. Chat with Your Knowledgebase

• Interactive Mode Overview
• How to Use Interactive Mode
• What You Can Do in Interactive Mode

14. Creating and Editing Notes

• Benefits of Using NotebookLM for Notes
• Steps to Create and Edit Notes
• Leveraging Notes for Document Outlines
• Exporting Notes for Inclusion in Projects
• Collaborating with Team Members
• Using Search
• Creating Templates for Common Structures

15. Organizing with Tags and Folders

• Creating and Managing Tags
• Applying Tags to Notes
• Creating and Organizing Folders
• Moving Notes into Folders
• Linking Related Notes
• Tips and Best Practices

16. Sharing Notebooks with Team Members

• Benefits of Sharing Notebooks
• Steps to Share Notebooks
• Next Steps After Sharing
• Considerations for Sharing

17. Real-Time Collaboration in NotebookLM

• Benefits of Real-Time Collaboration
• Steps to Collaborate in Real-Time
• Next Steps for Effective Collaboration

Click here to view: Klariti’s Quick Start Guide to Google NotebbokLM