Gemini Notebook: Build a Glossary from Your Sources
1. Build a glossary for these sources, not every possible meaning
A familiar abbreviation can mean different things in two documents. A general definition may sound convincing while explaining the wrong task. A useful glossary keeps the original term beside its meaning in a particular source, so readers can see where each explanation applies.
Gemini Notebook, formerly NotebookLM, supports questions grounded in selected sources and provides citations for checking answers. Google announced the new name on July 16, 2026. This workflow uses the browser experience and ordinary source questions.
Choose a concrete purpose, such as understanding workshop documents before a planning meeting. Set the reader level and output language, then limit the first pass to a small number of unfamiliar terms.
2. Keep the original sources separate and recognizable
Open Gemini Notebook, create a notebook and add the relevant material. A signed-in Google account and supported region are required; work or school access may depend on an administrator. Use only material you are permitted to upload. Check the imported text before asking questions, especially where formatting could change the meaning.
For this original fictional exercise, use Add sources, then Copied text, three times. Add each S1, S2 and S3 block as a separate source with its descriptive title. Preserve its version, date and section or line label.
The three blocks below supply all evidence for this exercise. S1–S3 are editorial source IDs that we supplied; they are not native Gemini Notebook citation chips. Copied text is saved as a note source, which can participate in source-based questions.
S1 | Workshop logistics glossary | version 1.0 | 2026-10-05 | section 2
CR means condition report: a record of the room and equipment condition before a session. A draft is prepared for review and is not approved.
S2 | Workshop design glossary | version 2.0 | 2026-10-09 | section 3
CR means change request: a proposed change to the workshop design. A baseline is the approved design version used for comparison.
S3 | Handover note | 2026-10-12 | line 4
CR pending before release.3. Ask for meanings, context and evidence together
Select only the three original sources in the Sources panel. Specify the terms to examine: “CR”, “draft”, “baseline” and “release”. Request separate entries whenever one spelling has different meanings or unresolved usage. Ask for the source title and section or line locator alongside each definition.
Keep an explicit definition separate from a suggested expansion. S1 and S2 directly define “CR”. S3 uses it without explaining it. Neither the newest date nor a matching abbreviation proves which meaning S3 intends. The appropriate next question is which process the handover note refers to.
The table is an expected editorial interpretation in plain English, not output from a model test. Its source references identify our fixture blocks. A real response may phrase explanations differently; the important checks are whether it preserves the separate senses and leaves unsupported terms unresolved.
On a small screen, swipe the table to see all columns.
| Original term | Definition or status | Context | Source and locator |
|---|---|---|---|
| CR | Explicit definition: condition report; room and equipment condition recorded before a session. | Workshop logistics | S1 — Workshop logistics glossary; section 2 |
| CR | Explicit definition: change request; a proposed workshop-design change. | Workshop design | S2 — Workshop design glossary; section 3 |
| CR | Unresolved: expansion not established here. | “CR pending before release.” | S3 — Handover note; line 4 |
| draft | Explicit description: prepared for review; not approved. | Workshop logistics | S1 — Workshop logistics glossary; section 2 |
| baseline | Explicit definition: approved design version used for comparison. | Workshop design | S2 — Workshop design glossary; section 3 |
| release | Not defined in this source. | “CR pending before release.” | S3 — Handover note; line 4 |
4. Inspect the evidence before accepting an explanation
Where citations appear, hover to inspect the quoted material and select one to read it in context. Check that the cited passage supports the definition itself, not merely a nearby occurrence of the term. A citation to S1 cannot settle the unexplained “CR” in S3.
Google notes that very short sources may be referenced as whole documents without individual-text citations. This tiny fixture therefore does not guarantee a separate granular citation for every row. Open the relevant source and compare its wording directly; retain descriptive titles and supplied locators in the table.
Preserve the original quoted terms when translating explanations. Translating the explanation of “draft” must not silently replace the source term or change “not approved” into “approved”. Put unsupported expansions in a clearly marked question list, or omit them; do not present them as definitions.
5. Save the glossary without making it its own evidence
After checking the entries, use Save to note if you want to retain the response. Current Google guidance says created notes appear in the Sources panel and selected notes can be used for questions and citations. This includes a generated glossary saved as a note.
Before reviewing definitions again, uncheck that generated glossary and other derived notes. Keep the three original source entries selected, including the original copied-text notes. Otherwise, an earlier interpretation may reappear as supporting material. Checking which entries are selected is part of the review, not a one-time setup step. Conversation history also influences responses, so source deselection does not replace checking each definition against the original text.
When an original changes, inspect the current imported text and revisit the affected terms. Record which source version the glossary reflects. Ask the document owner to clarify S3 instead of choosing whichever “CR” definition seems most likely. The finished glossary should help readers locate meanings and gaps quickly, with each explanation tied to its actual context.
Open the source glossary prompt
Related practical guides
Official Google guidance checked October 18, 2026. The workshop sources and expected glossary are original fictional editorial examples. No model test was performed.
Google: NotebookLM is now Gemini Notebook (July 16, 2026) · Google Help: Use chat in Gemini Notebook · Google Help: Create and add notes · Google Help: Frequently asked questions
