diff --git a/src/geoslurp/__init__.py b/src/geoslurp/__init__.py
index b1c6a49..c476158 100644
--- a/src/geoslurp/__init__.py
+++ b/src/geoslurp/__init__.py
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
 """API Documentation for the geoslurp python module"""
+
diff --git a/src/geoslurp/cli/geoslurper.py b/src/geoslurp/cli/geoslurper.py
index 32b2070..822d7b1 100755
--- a/src/geoslurp/cli/geoslurper.py
+++ b/src/geoslurp/cli/geoslurper.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 # License along with Frommle; if not, write to the Free Software
 # Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301  USA
 
-# Author Roelof Rietbroek (roelof@geod.uni-bonn.de), 2018
+# Author Roelof Rietbroek (roelof@geod.uni-bonn.de), 2018 -2024
 
 #Command line program to Download and manage Earth science data
 
diff --git a/src/geoslurp/config/__init__.py b/src/geoslurp/config/__init__.py
index 2bf700c..db028f2 100644
--- a/src/geoslurp/config/__init__.py
+++ b/src/geoslurp/config/__init__.py
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
-from .slurplogger import *
\ No newline at end of file
+from .slurplogger import *
+from .catalogue import DatasetCatalogue
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/geoslurp/db/geoslurpdb.py b/src/geoslurp/db/geoslurpdb.py
index 7a18098..04e4846 100644
--- a/src/geoslurp/db/geoslurpdb.py
+++ b/src/geoslurp/db/geoslurpdb.py
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 from geoslurp.db.connector import GeoslurpConnector
 
 
-def geoslurpConnect(args=None,readonly_user=True,update=False,local_settings=None,dbalias=None):
+def geoslurpConnect(args=None,readonly_user=True,local_settings=None,dbalias=None):
     """Convenience wrapper to start a connection with a geoslurpdatabase. Returns a database connection while taking use of stored settings from the users 
     configuration file ($HOME/.geoslurp_lastused.yaml).
     :param args: Class which encapsulates different connection parameters
diff --git a/src/geoslurp/manager.py b/src/geoslurp/manager.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..34af3ab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/geoslurp/manager.py
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+# This file is part of geoslurp.
+# geoslurp is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+# modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
+# License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either
+# version 3 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
+
+# geoslurp is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU
+# Lesser General Public License for more details.
+
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public
+# License along with Frommle; if not, write to the Free Software
+# Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301  USA
+
+# Author Roelof Rietbroek (r.rietbroek@utwente.nl), 2024
+
+
+from geoslurp.config.localsettings import readLocalSettings,settingsArgs
+from geoslurp.db.connector import GeoslurpConnector
+from geoslurp.db import Settings
+from geoslurp.config.catalogue import DatasetCatalogue
+
+class GeoslurpManager:
+    def __init__(self,args=None,readonly_user=True,conf_file=None,dbalias=None):
+        #if no overruling arguments are supplied
+        if not args:
+            #Start with the default arguments
+            args=settingsArgs()
+
+        if conf_file is not None:
+            #read the local client settings from non-default yaml config file
+            args.local_settings=conf_file
+        
+        if dbalias:
+            #specify a different database alias profile to load from the in the client settings
+            args.dbalias=dbalias
+
+        
+        #Read local settings 
+        self._localconf=readLocalSettings(args=args,readonlyuser=readonly_user)
+        self._catalogue=DatasetCatalogue()
+        #note no actual database connection is needed up to now
+        self._conn=None
+        self._conf=None #settings loaded from the database
+        
+    @property
+    def conn(self)-> GeoslurpConnector :
+        """
+        Lazy loading of the geoslurp connector
+        Returns
+        -------
+        GeoslurpConnector
+        """
+        if self._conn is None:
+            #initialize connection based on the client profile
+            self._conn=GeoslurpConnector(host=self._localconf.host,user=self._localconf.user,passwd=self._localconf.password, cache=self._localconf.cache,dataroot=self._localconf.dataroot)
+        
+        
+        return self._conn
+    
+    @property
+    def conf(self):
+        """
+            Lazily loads the user/db configuration from the database
+        """
+        if self._conf is None:
+            self._conf=Settings(self.conn)
+        return self._conf
+
+    def dataset(self,name:str):
+        
+        #initialize a dataset class (Note this requires a database connection)
+        ds=self._catalogue.getDsetClass(self.conf,name)
+        #return an initialized dataset class
+        return ds(self.conn)
+
+