Google NotebookLM – Access and Usage Guide

Google NotebookLM is an AI-powered research and note-taking tool from Google. It acts as a “research and thinking partner” by helping you organize and analyze complex documents through summaries, interactive Q&A, and audio overviews. In essence, NotebookLM allows you to upload content (such as PDFs, Google Docs, slides, websites, or even YouTube videos) and then ask questions or request summaries based on that content. The tool uses Google’s advanced Gemini AI models to generate concise explanations, answer your questions about the material, and even create things like outlines or mind maps – all while providing citations and quotes from your sources to back up its answers. It can also produce an Audio Overview, giving you a spoken synopsis of your material for on-the-go review.

At the University of Missouri, NotebookLM is available to all active faculty, staff, and students as a part of our Google Workspace for Education environment. There is no charge to use it – you simply log in with your University (SSO) credentials (see “Obtaining Access” below). NotebookLM can be a powerful productivity aid for academic and administrative use cases, such as studying course materials, conducting literature reviews, extracting insights from reports, or drafting summaries and presentations.

Note: Due to data security and privacy regulations, NotebookLM is not approved for use with any protected health or other highly sensitive personal information. In particular, MU Health Care (MUHC) workforce members and others who handle DCL-4 (highly restricted) data should not use Google NotebookLM for work purposes. Please refer to the Security Information section of this article for details on data classification and usage restrictions.

(UMKC, Missouri S&T, and UMSL users should check with their campus IT departments for any campus-specific access details.)

Unlike some other AI tools, Google NotebookLM does not require a special license purchase for UM System users – it is already enabled through our existing Google Workspace for Education agreement. All UM-Columbia (MU) faculty, staff, and students are eligible to use NotebookLM. To get started, you simply need to log in with your university-provided Google Workspace account.

Step 1: Access the NotebookLM Login Page – Open a web browser and go to the NotebookLM sign-in page: https://notebooklm.google.com 

Step 2: Sign in with University Credentials – You will be prompted to sign in with a Google account. Enter your University email address (your username followed by “@umsystem.edu”). This will redirect you to the UM System login page. Sign in with your usual University username and password. If you are already signed into another UM System service, the sign-in may happen automatically.

• Tip: If you are already logged into a personal Google/Gmail account in your browser, you may need to switch accounts or use a private/incognito window to log in with your UM credentials. In the Google sign-in interface, you can click “Use another account” and then enter your <username>@umsystem.edu email to initiate University SSO login.

Step 3: Accept Terms (first login only) – The first time you access NotebookLM, you might be asked to accept Google’s terms of service or an invitation to join the UM System’s Google Workspace. Follow the prompts to proceed. (Using NotebookLM is governed by the standard Google Terms of Service and our institutional policies.)

Step 4: Complete Sign-In – After authenticating, you should be directed into the NotebookLM web application. You’ll know you are in the right place when you see the NotebookLM interface (which typically has a sidebar for your “notebooks” and a welcome message or tutorial for new users). From here, you can begin using NotebookLM’s features.

Once this initial setup is done, your account has access. In the future, you can simply visit the NotebookLM site and log in with your UM credentials at any time — no additional requests or setup required.

After you’ve obtained access, using NotebookLM is straightforward:

Platform Availability: NotebookLM is a web-based application, so no software installation is needed. It can be accessed on any modern web browser on Windows, macOS, or Linux systems. (There is also a mobile app available for phones/tablets – see Google’s documentation for details – but here we focus on the web version.)

Finding the App: You can reach NotebookLM by going to the web URL (noted above) or by clicking the “Apps” (Google Workspace App Launcher) icon when logged into your UM Google account – NotebookLM may appear in the list of available Google apps. If you don’t see it in the app launcher, just navigate directly to the site. Consider bookmarking the NotebookLM webpage for quick access.

Sign-In Reminders: Always use your UM System account to log in. If prompted to choose an account, select your UM credentials (or enter your SSO email and password). If you unintentionally sign in with a personal Google account, you won’t have access to the enterprise NotebookLM service. Make sure you sign out and sign in with your UM account if this happens. 

Troubleshooting Tips:

• Login Issues: If you cannot log in or receive an “unauthorized”/“access denied” message, double-check that you are using the correct UM System username and password. Remember to include the “@umsystem.edu” part of your email when logging into Google. If you have recently changed your University password, you may need to update saved credentials in your browser.
• Account not found: If the NotebookLM site says it cannot find your account or you don’t have access, it might indicate that your account is not included in our Google Workspace. Most current faculty, staff, and students should be in the system. However, MU Health Care and other highly sensitive accounts are excluded by policy (see Security Information below). If you believe you should have access but don’t, contact the Help Desk for assistance.
• Browser Issues: If you encounter a blank screen or errors while loading NotebookLM, try clearing your browser cache or using a different browser. Also, ensure you are running an up-to-date version of the browser. Google Chrome is recommended for the best compatibility.
• Service Unavailable: As with any cloud service, there may be rare outages. You can check Google’s Workspace Status Dashboard to see if NotebookLM (sometimes listed under “Gemini” or “Labs”) is experiencing downtime. If an outage is reported, you may need to try again later.

Once you’re logged into Google NotebookLM, you can create “notebooks” and leverage the tool’s features to help with studying, research, or other productivity tasks. At a high level, using NotebookLM involves adding source materials to a notebook and then interacting with the AI through a chat interface to ask questions or generate content based on those materials. Here are some tips and examples to help you use NotebookLM effectively:

• Create a Notebook & Add Sources: Start by creating a new notebook for your project or topic. Within NotebookLM, click on “New Notebook” (if it’s your first time, a default notebook may already be created for you). Give it a name related to your topic (for example, “BIOCHEM 4301 Research”). Next, add sources to your notebook: you can upload PDFs, import Google Docs or Slides from your Drive, paste URLs to webpages, or even add YouTube video links. Each notebook can hold multiple sources (documents, articles, etc.), allowing NotebookLM to draw information from all of them collectively. For instance, you might add several journal article PDFs and a Google Doc of your notes to one notebook.
• Ask Questions & Get Summaries: Once your sources are added, use the chat panel to query the AI about them. You can type questions in natural language – NotebookLM will generate answers based on the content of your added sources. For example:
  • “Summarize the main findings of Report.pdf.” (NotebookLM will read the file and produce a summary of key points.)
  • “What are the prevailing themes across all these articles?” (NotebookLM will synthesize information spanning multiple documents.)
  • “Define the concept of X as explained in these papers.” (NotebookLM will provide a definition or explanation drawn from your sources.)

The responses will typically include citations – you can click on a cited sentence to see which source (and section of the source) it came from. This helps you verify the answers and do further reading as needed. You can follow up with more questions to dig deeper or clarify the summary. NotebookLM maintains the context of the current notebook, so it “remembers” what content is in your sources during the chat session.

• Generate Notes, Outlines, or Presentations: NotebookLM can also help you create new content from your source materials:
  • “Outline the key differences between Theory A and Theory B based on my notes.” – The AI can produce a structured outline or list of bullet points comparing concepts, drawn from your uploaded sources.
  • “Draft an email to summarize these findings for my team.” – The AI can compose a draft message (which you should refine before sending) that highlights the important insights from your research.
  • “Create a brief presentation outline (5 slides) about the Project XYZ findings.” – NotebookLM can generate a slide-by-slide outline with suggested titles and bullet points, sourced from your materials. This can be a starting point for building a PowerPoint or Google Slides presentation.
• Use Follow-up and Refinement: You can have an interactive dialogue with NotebookLM. After an initial response, feel free to ask follow-up questions or ask the AI to adjust its output. For example, “Can you elaborate on the third point?” or “Rewrite this explanation in simpler language.” The more specific you are with your requests, the better the results. You can even ask it to take on a perspective: “Explain the concept to a beginner” vs. “Provide a detailed, technical explanation.” This iterative approach helps in developing and refining your notes or understanding.
• Leverage Advanced Features: NotebookLM has a few special capabilities:
  • Mind Maps: You can ask NotebookLM to create a visual mind map of the concepts in your notebook. For instance, “Generate a mind map of the topics covered in these sources.” The AI will produce a structured outline or diagram of how key ideas relate (useful for visualizing relationships or studying for an exam).
  • Audio Overviews: NotebookLM’s Audio Overview feature can give you a spoken summary of a document or a set of notes. This is like having the AI read a summary of your materials out loud. It’s handy if you want to listen to a summary while on the go. Look for the audio icon or command within a notebook to generate an audio overview (currently, the audio is available in English only).
  • Public & Shared Notebooks: You have the option to share a notebook with colleagues or even access public notebooks shared by others. This can facilitate collaboration – for example, a research team could share a notebook containing common sources, and all members can see and add content or pose questions. (Be cautious to only share notebooks that do not contain confidential information.)
  • “Discover Sources” (Web Integration): NotebookLM can also help you find related information on the web. Using the “Discover sources” feature, you can have the AI suggest additional reference materials from online sources related to your topic. For example, “Find relevant online articles about this topic and add them as sources.” Important: When using this feature, do not include any sensitive or personal data in your query, because it may be sent to Google’s search services (see Security Information below).

Review and Edit Outputs: Remember that AI-generated content is a draft. While NotebookLM excels at pulling together information from your sources, you are responsible for reviewing its output. Always double-check facts and ensure the final work is accurate and meets your needs. Use the cited sources to verify information. If something looks incorrect or unclear, try rephrasing your question or consult the original source material. By iteratively refining NotebookLM’s outputs and combining them with your own expertise, you can save time and improve the quality of your research or writing.

• NotebookLM Help Center (Google Support): Google provides a comprehensive help center for NotebookLM. Visit the NotebookLM Help page for tutorials on creating notebooks, adding sources, using the chat features, and more. This is a great resource for learning about advanced features like mind maps, infographics, and the mobile app.
• Google Terms & Privacy: Review Google’s documentation on how NotebookLM handles your data. According to Google, content you upload or ask about in NotebookLM is not used to train the public AI models, and it remains within our organization’s protected environment. For more details, you can refer to Google’s NotebookLM Privacy and Terms and the general Google Terms of Service.

Google NotebookLM is approved for use with University data classified as DCL-1 (Public), DCL-2 (Sensitive), or DCL-3 (Restricted). It must not be used with any DCL-4 (Highly Restricted) data. This section outlines important security guidelines and restrictions for using NotebookLM in compliance with University policies:

• Prohibited Data (DCL-4): Do not upload, copy/paste, or ask NotebookLM about any data classified as DCL-4 (Highly Restricted). This includes, but is not limited to, Protected Health Information (PHI), individual social security numbers, credit card or banking information, confidential student records, personnel records, or any other regulated or extremely sensitive information. Even “de-identified” health or student data should not be used, unless you have obtained explicit certification from MUHC Information Security that the data is fully de-identified and approved for use. (If you believe you have a valid use case for using de-identified data, you must consult MUHC Information Security and submit a request for an exception before proceeding.)
• Prompt Content Caution: When you interact with NotebookLM, do not include any DCL-4 data in your questions or prompts. For example, do not ask questions that include a patient’s name, medical record number, or any sensitive personal identifiers. Anything you type into NotebookLM could be stored on Google’s servers, so it’s essential to only use information that is allowed by University data guidelines. If you wouldn’t email the content or upload it to a cloud service like Google Drive without restrictions, you shouldn’t share it with NotebookLM either.
• Enterprise Data Protection: NotebookLM is provided as a core service of our Google Workspace, which means Google treats its output and your inputs the same as other protected data in our domain. Your content is not used to train Google’s models, and remains within our organization’s secured environment. Nonetheless, standard data handling rules apply – for instance, do not use a personal Google account to process University data, and do not copy sensitive outputs from NotebookLM into systems that are not approved for that level of data.
• Web-Based Features: NotebookLM’s “Discover Sources” web integration can search the internet for related information to add to your notebook. Avoid using this feature with any sensitive query that includes protected data. While Google will not intentionally expose your data, using internet search inherently carries more risk of data leaving the secure environment. When in doubt, stick to manually curated sources that you trust, or consult IT security if you need to use web discovery features for work-related research.
• New Features & Third-Party Integrations: As NotebookLM evolves, Google may introduce new features (such as third-party app integrations or plugins). Do not enable or use any unapproved add-ons, connectors, or new features in conjunction with University data unless they have been reviewed and approved by UM or MUHC Information Security. If you’re unsure about a new feature, check University IT announcements or contact the security office for guidance before using it with sensitive information.
• Accuracy and Appropriate Use: AI tools like NotebookLM can sometimes produce incorrect or misleading information (often called “AI hallucinations”). Use caution and critical thinking when acting on NotebookLM’s output. Cross-verify important answers with authoritative sources, especially before making decisions or sharing information. Employees should consult with their managers or data owners to ensure they are correctly interpreting and applying NotebookLM-generated content in their work. The tool is designed to assist and augment your work, not to replace human judgment.

Finally, remember that all usage of NotebookLM must comply with University policies, including data protection rules and the Acceptable Use Policy. By following the guidelines above, you can safely take advantage of Google NotebookLM’s capabilities to enhance your productivity and learning, while keeping University data secure.