diff --git a/.github/workflows/deploy.yml b/.github/workflows/deploy.yml
index 3f426e2d4..87240dbce 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/deploy.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/deploy.yml
@@ -13,9 +13,9 @@ on:
 
 
 jobs:
-  publish-to-test-pypi:
+  publish-to-pypi-test:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-
+    if: github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch' 
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v3
 
@@ -42,16 +42,39 @@ jobs:
         run: hatch publish -r test
         working-directory: openfast_io
 
-      # - name: Publish to PyPI
-      #   env:
-      #     HATCH_INDEX_USER: __token__
-      #     HATCH_INDEX_AUTH: ${{ secrets.PYPI_TOKEN }}
-      #   run: hatch publish 
-      #   working-directory: openfast_io
+  publish-to-pypi:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    if: github.event_name == 'release' 
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
+
+      - name: Set up Python
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v4
+        with:
+          python-version: '3.12'
+          cache: 'pip'
+
+      - name: Install Hatch
+        uses: pypa/hatch@install
+
+      - name: Install dependencies
+        run: pip install keyring[file]
+
+      - name: Build package
+        run: hatch build
+        working-directory: openfast_io
+
+      - name: Publish to PyPI
+        env:
+          HATCH_INDEX_USER: __token__
+          HATCH_INDEX_AUTH: ${{ secrets.PYPI_TOKEN }}
+        run: hatch publish 
+        working-directory: openfast_io
 
   docker-build-and-push:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    timeout-minutes: 300
+    if: github.event_name == 'release'
+    timeout-minutes: 500
     env:
       DOCKERFILE_PATH: share/docker/Dockerfile
       DOCKERHUB_REPOSITORY: nrel/openfast
diff --git a/docs/source/install/index.rst b/docs/source/install/index.rst
index b394ed808..6bd5b81ab 100644
--- a/docs/source/install/index.rst
+++ b/docs/source/install/index.rst
@@ -217,17 +217,29 @@ You can also build your own custom images using our `Dockerfile` or base your im
 Install the ``openfast_io`` python wrapper
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 The ``openfast_io`` python package is a wrapper comprising readers and writers for converting OpenFAST files to/from
-python objects. You can install it with:
+python objects.
 
-.. code-block::
+To use `openfast_io` as a library for incorporation into other scripts or tools, it is available via (assuming that you have already setup your python environment):
+
+.. code-block:: bash
 
     pip install openfast_io
 
-or
+These instructions are for interaction directly with the `openfast_io` source code.
+
+1. Follow this step only if you have not cloned the OpenFAST repo:
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+    git clone https://github.com/OpenFAST/OpenFAST.git
+    cd OpenFAST
 
-.. code-block::
+2. Assuming you are within the OpenFAST directory:
+
+.. code-block:: bash
 
-    poetry add openfast_io
+    cd openfast_io
+    pip install -e .
 
 For more information and installation options, see the `OpenFAST Python readme <https://github.com/OpenFAST/openfast/blob/main/openfast_python/README.md>`_.
 
diff --git a/openfast_io/README.md b/openfast_io/README.md
index 796c7a563..4d1d77dfd 100644
--- a/openfast_io/README.md
+++ b/openfast_io/README.md
@@ -4,21 +4,48 @@ This package is a python wrapper comprising readers and writers for converting O
 was originally written for [WEIS](https://github.com/WISDEM/WEIS/tree/77a878d7989b8c1d07d2244135ccd308a193a924/weis/aeroelasticse) and has been ported over to OpenFAST to make it more widely accessible. 
 
 ## Installation
-Run either
+Installation with [Anaconda](https://www.anaconda.com) is the recommended approach because of the ability to create self-contained environments suitable for testing and analysis.
+
+### Installation as a "library"
+
+To use `openfast_io` as a library for incorporation into other scripts or tools, it is available via (assuming that you have already setup your python environment):
+
 ```shell
 pip install openfast_io
 ```
-or
-```shell
-poetry add openfast_io
-```
+
+### Installation as an editable library
+
+These instructions are for interaction directly with the `openfast_io` source code.
+
+0. Follow this step only if you have not cloned the OpenFAST repo.
+    ```shell
+    git clone https://github.com/OpenFAST/OpenFAST.git
+    cd OpenFAST
+    ```
+
+1. Assuming you are within the OpenFAST directory.
+    ```shell
+    cd openfast_io
+    pip install -e .
+    ```
+
+2. To test `openfast_io`, OpenFAST must be compiled within the build folder, then run:
+
+    ```shell
+    cd tests
+    pytest test_of_io_pytest.py
+    ```
 
 ### Extra options
 [ROSCO](https://github.com/NREL/ROSCO) can be installed as an optional dependency. Run either
 ```shell
 pip install openfast_io[rosco]
 ```
-or
+
+## Development and testing
+To contribute to the development of `openfast_io`, install additioal depemndancies using:
+
 ```shell
-poetry add -E rosco openfast_io
+pip install -e ".[all]"
 ```
diff --git a/openfast_io/pyproject.toml b/openfast_io/pyproject.toml
index 9261c67ed..0ceb04bbb 100644
--- a/openfast_io/pyproject.toml
+++ b/openfast_io/pyproject.toml
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ build-backend = "hatchling.build"
 [project]
 name = "openfast_io"
 # dynamic = ["version"]
-version = "4.0.0.b1"
+version = "4.0.0"
 description = "Readers and writers for OpenFAST files."
 license = {file = "../LICENSE"}
 authors = [