Information Collecting (NotebookLM)

This page is totally under reconstruction!

Try a simple session with NotebookLM

1. Go to NotebookLM (https://notebooklm.google/)
   

Note: You cannot log in with ACC-related Google Chrome. Create a new Google account not associated with ACC and used solely with NotebookLM.

2. Click on Untitled notebook or Create new.
3. In either case, click the vertical dots and select Edit title. Name it something like Plastic Pollution & Recycling
4. Click in the area of your new notebook, and in Add Sources scroll down, click Website:
   
5. In the page that appears, paste this link into Paste URL: https://mcmassociates.io/gizmag_plastic_pollution.html. This file is a collection of links to some 40 to 50 articles on various aspects of plastic pollution. Think of it as your own personal database— your own LM—to which you pose related questions.
   NotebookLM automatically generates a "note" based on the sources of plastic pollution in the link. The note begins with a summary of the links:

   These sources predominantly explore the pervasive issue of plastic pollution, highlighting its widespread presence from human brains and farm animals to the deepest ocean trenches and Mount Everest. They detail the various origins of microplastics, including laundry, ship hull coatings, and everyday items like coffee cups, emphasizing the alarming quantities entering the environment and impacting marine life. Furthermore, the articles discuss innovative approaches to combat this crisis, such as new recycling technologies, biodegradable plastic alternatives, and methods for removing microplastics from water, while also acknowledging the limitations of current recycling efforts and the potential health concerns associated with plastic exposure.

6. You can now start posting questions to your personal LM such as the following:
   What are the sources and the amounts of global plastic pollution?
   What are the known effects on human health of plastic pollution?
   How effective are current efforts to recycle plastic waste?
7. For each answer you get to questions like these, you can click Save to note, and the note will appear in the bottom right corner:
   

Add sources one at a time and generate outputs with NotebookLM

The file containing the 40 to 50 links to articles on plastic pollution was a convenience you would not normally have. Normally, you would add individual links one at a time to build your own personal LM (not a "large" language model). Here's how that works:

1. To begin, open NotebookLM.
2. Start a new project either by clicking on Untitled notebook or clicking on Create new.
   This example uses this topic: what is the effect of generative AI on technical writing and technical writers?
3. To begin adding sources to this notebook, click Website beneath Links.
4. Add this link: https://www.fluidtopics.com/blog/industry-trends/technical-documentation-trends-2025/. The title of this link is "5 Technical Documentation Trends to Shape Your 2025 Strategy."
5. Notice that NotebookLM jumps on this link to create a title for this notebook and a summary:
   
6. If you're not happy with the title that NotebookLM has chosen, back up to your NotebookLM start page, click the 3 vertical dots, and select Edit title.
7. Notice too that at the bottom of NotebookLM's treatment of this first link, you can click Add note which puts a note in the bottom right corner.
8. To add another link to this notebook, click + Add in the leftside panel. Use this link: https://www.fluidtopics.com/blog/thought-leadership/ai-reshaping-technical-writing-structure. The title for this link is "How AI is Reshaping Technical Writing: Structure"

Add a variety of sources to your notebook

So far, you've added only web links to a notebook. You can, however, add PDFs, YouTube videos, and text you copy.

Add a PDF

Add a YouTube video

Now start a new notebook. Imagine you've collected a bunch of YouTube videos on Winnipeg:

Generational changes coming to downtown Winnipeg
Top Reasons People REGRET Moving to Winnipeg MB
WINNIPEG - A Hidden Gem of Canada?
Things You SHOULD Know Before Moving to Winnipeg, Manitoba with Realtor,

To add them to your notebook:

1. Click + Add
2. Click YouTube under Links

Add text you've copied

Imagine you selected and copied a Wikipedia article on Winnipeg to your computer. Add it to your notebook.

1. Click + Add
2. Click Copied text under Paste text

REM: When you add bunches of sources, click Generate generate that 2-person audio:

Find more related links

1. Click Discover in the left side panel, and enter a search question for example, Should my family and I move to Winnipeg?
2. Click Submit.
3. You can select all the sources found or just select a few:
   
4. Click Import

Generate a simulated talk-show audio overview

Amazingly, NotebookLM can generate two realistic-sounding voices discussing your notebook sources as on radio program.

1. When you have add enough sourses (links, DFs, YouTude videos, pasted text, click Generate in the rightside panel.
2. Be prepared to wait for more than a "few moments."
3. You can interrupt the virtual radio announcers' dialog to ask for clarifications, repeats, etc.:
   1. Click Interactive mode.
   2. The speakers will acknowledge you. Click the blue right-pointing arrow in the rightside panel.
   3. Click Join.
   4. Click one of these options, for example, Allow this time:
      
   5. If you are running the Winnipeg notebook audio, you could ask "How cold do the winters get?" Amazingly, the speakers will interrupt themselves and answer your question.