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Explore NotebookLM
30–40 minutesBest for: People comfortable chatting with AI who want to try a focused, custom workspace
What You'll Do
NotebookLM is a Google tool that lets you upload your own documents and then have a conversation with them. You're not asking a general-purpose AI about the internet — you're asking your specific documents questions. It's surprisingly useful for manuals, health documents, organizational paperwork, and anything else you've ever wished you could just ask.
1Go to NotebookLM
Go to https://notebooklm.google.com
Sign in with a Google account (Gmail works). If you don't have a Google account, you can create one for free at gmail.com.
2Click "New Notebook"
This creates your first notebook where you'll add documents and ask questions.
3Add a source
NotebookLM accepts PDFs, Google Docs, websites, and more. Pick one of the options below — or bring your own document.
What to Upload — Pick One
Option A: An appliance or device manual
- •If you have a PDF manual for something you own — a dishwasher, TV, air fryer, coffee maker — upload it
- •"How do I run a cleaning cycle?"
- •"What do the error codes mean?"
- •"What setting should I use for delicate dishes?"
Option B: A Medicare or insurance document
- •Upload a PDF of your Medicare summary, health insurance explanation of benefits, or prescription plan overview
- •"What does my plan cover for physical therapy?"
- •"What's my deductible?"
- •"Is my medication covered?"
Option C: A club, church, or organization document
- •Upload meeting minutes, a handbook, bylaws, or a newsletter from a group you're involved with
- •"When is the next board meeting?"
- •"What are the membership requirements?"
- •"Summarize what was discussed at the last meeting."
Option D: Connor's Week 4 slides
- •Download today's slides from learning.connormulvaney.com → Week 4 and upload the PDF to NotebookLM
- •Then ask it questions about what was covered in class today
- •It's a useful way to review — and a good demo of exactly what the slides are explaining
9Ask questions in the chat panel
Once your source is uploaded, try asking a few questions in the chat panel on the right. Start simple, then get more specific.
10Try the Audio Overview
Explore the Audio Overview button — NotebookLM can generate a short podcast-style conversation summarizing your document. It's a bit uncanny and worth trying at least once.
What to Expect
NotebookLM will only answer based on what's in your uploaded documents — it won't pull from the internet. That's actually the point. If it doesn't know something, it'll tell you. Answers include citations so you can see exactly where in the document the information came from.
Tips
- •The more specific your question, the more useful the answer — try asking something you'd normally spend ten minutes hunting through a document to find
- •If you don't have a PDF handy, you can paste a URL to a webpage instead (look for the "Website" source option)
- •Don't worry about uploading sensitive personal info — NotebookLM is a Google product and follows standard Google privacy practices, but use your judgment
- •You can add multiple documents to one notebook and ask questions across all of them
Go Further
Add a second document to the same notebook and ask a question that spans both — for example, upload two meeting minutes documents and ask "What topics have come up in both meetings?"
Saving Your Work
Your notebook is saved automatically to your Google account. You can come back to it anytime at notebooklm.google.com and your sources and chat history will be there.
General Tips for All Tasks
If Something Isn't Loading or Working:
- •Try refreshing the page
- •Make sure you're connected to WiFi
- •Try a different browser (Chrome tends to work best for all three tools)
- •Ask Connor for help!
If You Finish Early:
- •Try a second task
- •Help a neighbor get started
- •Revisit today's slides at learning.connormulvaney.com → Week 4
Remember:
- •There's no wrong way to explore — experimenting is the point
- •You don't have to finish everything in 45 minutes
- •Anything you build today is yours to keep and use