diff --git a/.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/bug_feature.md b/.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/bug_feature.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b3454de
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/bug_feature.md
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+---
+name: Bug Report or Feature Request
+about: Report a bug or suggest a new feature!
+title: ""
+labels: ""
+assignees: ""
+---
+
+### Problem
+
+<!--
+For a bug report, please copy and paste any error messages from the application or command-line here.
+For a feature request, please state how the new functionality could benefit the community.
+-->
+
+### Proposed solution
diff --git a/.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/release_checklist.md b/.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/release_checklist.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a87a44a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/release_checklist.md
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+---
+name: Release
+about: Checklist and communication channel for PyPI and GitHub release
+title: "Ready for <version-number> PyPI/GitHub release"
+labels: "release"
+assignees: ""
+---
+
+### Release checklist for GitHub contributors
+
+- [ ] All PRs/issues attached to the release are merged.
+- [ ] All the badges on the README are passing.
+- [ ] License information is verified as correct. If you are unsure, please comment below.
+- [ ] Locally rendered documentation contains all appropriate pages, including API references (check no modules are
+  missing), tutorials, and other human written text is up-to-date with any changes in the code.
+- [ ] Installation instructions in the README, documentation and on the website (e.g., diffpy.org) are updated and
+  tested
+- [ ] Successfully run any tutorial examples or do functional testing in some other way.
+- [ ] Grammar and writing quality have been checked (no typos).
+
+Please mention @sbillinge when you are ready for release. Include any additional comments necessary, such as
+version information and details about the pre-release.
diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-wheel-release-upload.yml b/.github/workflows/build-wheel-release-upload.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3e78404
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-wheel-release-upload.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+name: Release (GitHub/PyPI)
+
+on:
+  workflow_dispatch:
+  push:
+    tags:
+      - '*'  # Trigger on all tags initially, but tag and release privilege are verified in _build-wheel-release-upload.yml
+
+jobs:
+  release:
+    uses: Billingegroup/release-scripts/.github/workflows/_build-wheel-release-upload.yml@v0
+    with:
+      project: diffpy.labpdfproc
+    secrets:
+      PYPI_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.PYPI_TOKEN }}
+      PAT_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.PAT_TOKEN }}
diff --git a/README.rst b/README.rst
index 2d762e8..779a6f3 100644
--- a/README.rst
+++ b/README.rst
@@ -83,14 +83,16 @@ To add "conda-forge" to the conda channels, run the following in a terminal. ::
 We want to install our packages in a suitable conda environment.
 The following creates and activates a new environment named ``diffpy.labpdfproc_env`` ::
 
-        conda create -n diffpy.labpdfproc_env python=3
+        conda create -n diffpy.labpdfproc_env diffpy.labpdfproc
         conda activate diffpy.labpdfproc_env
 
-Then, to fully install ``diffpy.labpdfproc`` in our active environment, run ::
+To confirm that the installation was successful, type ::
 
-        conda install diffpy.labpdfproc
+        python -c "import diffpy.labpdfproc; print(diffpy.labpdfproc.__version__)"
 
-Another option is to use ``pip`` to download and install the latest release from
+The output should print the latest version displayed on the badges above.
+
+If the above does not work, you can use ``pip`` to download and install the latest release from
 `Python Package Index <https://pypi.python.org>`_.
 To install using ``pip`` into your ``diffpy.labpdfproc_env`` environment, type ::
 
@@ -123,6 +125,11 @@ Please type ::
 
 for more information on the available options.
 
+Getting Started
+---------------
+
+You may consult our `online documentation <https://diffpy.github.io/diffpy.labpdfproc>`_ for tutorials and API references.
+
 Support and Contribute
 ----------------------
 
diff --git a/news/recut.rst b/news/recut.rst
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7dedc63
--- /dev/null
+++ b/news/recut.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+**Added:**
+
+* redo cookiecutter to add issue templates and update readme
+
+**Changed:**
+
+* <news item>
+
+**Deprecated:**
+
+* <news item>
+
+**Removed:**
+
+* <news item>
+
+**Fixed:**
+
+* <news item>
+
+**Security:**
+
+* <news item>