NotebookLM Could Soon Get Textbooks as a Source
NotebookLM may add textbooks as a source, which could make Google’s study-focused AI more useful for students.
Intelligence analysis by GPT-5.4 Mini
CNET reports that NotebookLM may soon let users add textbooks as sources, based on a screenshot shared by Testing Catalog. If true, it would expand an AI tool already built around user-provided materials and make it more useful for studying.
NotebookLM is like a smart notebook that only reads from the papers you give it. If textbooks get added, it could become like having a study buddy that can open a school book and help explain it.
Analysis
NotebookLM stands out from a standard chatbot because it only answers from the sources a user uploads or links. That design reduces the risk of the tool pulling in unrelated or conflicting web information, and it makes the product especially appealing for study and research tasks.
According to CNET, NotebookLM may soon add textbooks as a new source option. The report is based on a screenshot shared by AI-focused site Testing Catalog, which shows textbooks listed alongside other source types. CNET says the exact details are still unclear, so it is not yet known how the feature would work or which textbooks would be supported.
The story points to a possible partnership behind the scenes. CNET notes that users could already scan pages of a book and add them manually, so a built-in textbooks option would likely need some kind of licensing or content agreement. The article also points to Google’s earlier partnership with OpenStax, a provider of free, peer-reviewed textbooks, when it introduced Public Notebooks last year.
If the feature ships, it would make NotebookLM a stronger study tool for students who want to use class readings as a direct source of answers, summaries, or review help. For now, though, the development remains speculative: Google did not immediately respond to CNET’s request for comment, and the source list visible in the screenshot does not confirm whether this will be limited to OpenStax or broader textbook catalogs.
Key points
- CNET reports that NotebookLM may soon add textbooks as a source option.
- The claim comes from a screenshot shared by Testing Catalog.
- NotebookLM is designed to answer only from the sources users provide.
- Google previously partnered with OpenStax for Public Notebooks.
- The feature could make NotebookLM more useful for students studying from textbooks.
If Google adds textbooks cleanly, NotebookLM could become much more useful for students who need help studying from assigned reading. A textbook source option would also fit the product’s source-based design and make answers more focused than a general web chatbot.
The feature may never ship, or it may be limited to a narrow set of books such as OpenStax titles. If licensing or partnerships are required, that could keep the source option small or make it unavailable to many users.
