diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 76926b52..a4dd7b95 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -19,8 +19,8 @@ JIDT is distributed under the [GNU GPL v3 license](http://www.gnu.org/licenses/g
 # Getting started
 
 1. [Download](../../wiki/Downloads) and [Installation](../../wiki/Installation) is very easy!
-    1. _Quick start_: take a `git clone` (then build via [AntScripts](../../wiki/AntScripts)) OR download the latest [v1.6 full distribution](https://lizier.me/joseph/software/jidt/download.php?file=infodynamics-dist-1.6.zip) (suitable for all platforms) and see the readme.txt file therein.
-1. [Documentation](../../wiki/Documentation) including: the paper describing JIDT at [arXiv:1408.3270](http://arxiv.org/abs/1408.3270) (distributed with the toolkit), a (beta) [Course](../../wiki/Course) including short video lectures and a shorter [Tutorial](../../wiki/Tutorial), and [Javadocs (v1.6 here)](https://lizier.me/joseph/software/jidt/javadocs/v1.6/);
+    1. _Quick start_: take a `git clone` (then build via [AntScripts](../../wiki/AntScripts)) OR download the latest [v1.6.1 full distribution](https://lizier.me/joseph/software/jidt/download.php?file=infodynamics-dist-1.6.1.zip) (suitable for all platforms) and see the readme.txt file therein.
+1. [Documentation](../../wiki/Documentation) including: the paper describing JIDT at [arXiv:1408.3270](http://arxiv.org/abs/1408.3270) (distributed with the toolkit), a (beta) [Course](../../wiki/Course) including short video lectures and a shorter [Tutorial](../../wiki/Tutorial), and [Javadocs (v1.6.1 here)](https://lizier.me/joseph/software/jidt/javadocs/v1.6.1/);
 1. [Demos](../../wiki/Demos) are included with the full distribution, including a [GUI app](../../wiki/AutoAnalyser) for automatic analysis and code generation (see picture below), [simple java demos](../../wiki/SimpleJavaExamples) and [cellular automata (CA) demos](../../wiki/CellularAutomataDemos).
     1. These Java tools can easily be used in [Matlab/Octave](../../wiki/OctaveMatlabExamples), [Python](../../wiki/PythonExamples), [R](../../wiki/R_Examples), [Julia](../../wiki/JuliaExamples) and [Clojure](../../wiki/Clojure_Examples)! (click on each language here for examples)
 
@@ -45,6 +45,10 @@ See other [PublicationsUsingThisToolkit](../../wiki/PublicationsUsingThisToolkit
 
 # News
 
+_22/08/2023_ - New full distribution files available for **release v1.6.1**; Changes for v1.6.1 include:
+Minor updates to supporting use in Python, including virtual environments;
+Minor tweaks to fish schooling examples (mostly comments).
+
 _5/09/2022_ - New full distribution files available for **release v1.6**; Changes for v1.6 include:
 Adding Flocking/Schooling/Swarming demo;
 Included Pedro's code on IIT and O-/S-Information measures;
diff --git a/build.xml b/build.xml
index 20260af3..a75538b9 100755
--- a/build.xml
+++ b/build.xml
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 	</description>
 	
 	<!-- set global properties for this build -->
-	<property name="version" value="1.6"/>
+	<property name="version" value="1.6.1"/>
 	<property name="mainfilename" value="infodynamics"/>
 	<property name="jarplainname" value="${mainfilename}.jar" />
 	<property name="jarversiondistnamezip" value="${mainfilename}-jar-${version}.zip" />
diff --git a/readme-template.txt b/readme-template.txt
index bb5ae968..d9329ecd 100755
--- a/readme-template.txt
+++ b/readme-template.txt
@@ -136,6 +136,12 @@ Notices for this software are found in the notices/JAMA directory.
  Release notes
 ===============
 
+v1.6.1 22/8/2023
+-------------
+(after 909 commits recorded by github, repository as at https://github.com/jlizier/jidt/tree/90baf68ee7332e15030447b44d262a0fc54773f6 save for this file update)
+Minor updates to supporting use in Python, including virtual environments;
+Minor tweaks to fish schooling examples (mostly comments)
+
 v1.6 5/9/2022
 -------------
 (after 889 commits recorded by github, repository as at https://github.com/jlizier/jidt/tree/d750a737bea2a8b1f33b7cd0ad167ec999d907ef save for this file update)