diff --git a/.flake8 b/.flake8
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d9c5c06
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.flake8
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+[flake8]
+max-line-length = 199
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.github/workflows/python-app.yml b/.github/workflows/python-app.yml
index 2fb4157..bc013b4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/python-app.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/python-app.yml
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ jobs:
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
-        python-version: ["3.9", "3.10", "3.11", "3.12"]
+        python-version: ["3.10", "3.11", "3.12"]
 
 
 
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 329bc14..4ca1cd5 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -8,26 +8,33 @@ Python client using CouchDB as a token pool server.
 Installation
 ============
 
-To install, first clone the repository and then use pip to install:
+Development & Testing
+---------------------
+
+To install `picas` source code for development, first clone the repository and then use [`poetry`](https://python-poetry.org/docs/) to install. `poetry` is a tool for dependency managing and packaging in Python. If you don't have `poetry`, install it first with `pipx install poetry`.
 ```
 git clone git@github.com:sara-nl/picasclient.git
 cd picasclient
-pip install -U .
+poetry install --with test
 ```
+Note that poetry will create a virtual environment if it is not running withing an activated virtual environment already. In that case, you will need to run `poetry run` before your commands to execute them within the poetry virtual environment.
 
-Testing
-=======
-
-First, install the test dependencies with 
-```
-pip install ".[test]"
-```
 To test, run
 ```
 flake8 picas tests
 pytest tests
 ```
 
+Installing package
+------------------
+The latest release of `picas` can be installed as a package from PyPI with:
+```
+pip install picas
+```
+You can then write your custom Python program to use `picas` based on the examples below. 
+
+
+
 Examples
 ========
 
@@ -159,13 +166,13 @@ cc src/fractals.c -o bin/fractals -lm
 And finally, the `process_task.sh` code needs to call a different command. Replace
 
 ```
-eval $INPUT
+bash -c "$INPUT"
 ```
 
 with:
 
 ```
-./fractals -o $OUTPUT $INPUT
+bin/fractals -o $OUTPUT $INPUT
 ```
 
 to ensure the fractal code is called.
diff --git a/poetry.lock b/poetry.lock
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0d25524
--- /dev/null
+++ b/poetry.lock
@@ -0,0 +1,171 @@
+# This file is automatically @generated by Poetry 1.8.4 and should not be changed by hand.
+
+[[package]]
+name = "colorama"
+version = "0.4.6"
+description = "Cross-platform colored terminal text."
+optional = false
+python-versions = "!=3.0.*,!=3.1.*,!=3.2.*,!=3.3.*,!=3.4.*,!=3.5.*,!=3.6.*,>=2.7"
+files = [
+    {file = "colorama-0.4.6-py2.py3-none-any.whl", hash = "sha256:4f1d9991f5acc0ca119f9d443620b77f9d6b33703e51011c16baf57afb285fc6"},
+    {file = "colorama-0.4.6.tar.gz", hash = "sha256:08695f5cb7ed6e0531a20572697297273c47b8cae5a63ffc6d6ed5c201be6e44"},
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "couchdb"
+version = "1.2"
+description = "Python library for working with CouchDB"
+optional = false
+python-versions = "*"
+files = [
+    {file = "CouchDB-1.2-py2.py3-none-any.whl", hash = "sha256:13a28a1159c49f8346732e8724b9a4d65cba54bec017c4a7eeb1499fe88151d1"},
+    {file = "CouchDB-1.2.tar.gz", hash = "sha256:1386a1a43f25bed3667e3b805222054940d674fa1967fa48e9d2012a18630ab7"},
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "exceptiongroup"
+version = "1.2.2"
+description = "Backport of PEP 654 (exception groups)"
+optional = false
+python-versions = ">=3.7"
+files = [
+    {file = "exceptiongroup-1.2.2-py3-none-any.whl", hash = "sha256:3111b9d131c238bec2f8f516e123e14ba243563fb135d3fe885990585aa7795b"},
+    {file = "exceptiongroup-1.2.2.tar.gz", hash = "sha256:47c2edf7c6738fafb49fd34290706d1a1a2f4d1c6df275526b62cbb4aa5393cc"},
+]
+
+[package.extras]
+test = ["pytest (>=6)"]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "flake8"
+version = "7.1.1"
+description = "the modular source code checker: pep8 pyflakes and co"
+optional = false
+python-versions = ">=3.8.1"
+files = [
+    {file = "flake8-7.1.1-py2.py3-none-any.whl", hash = "sha256:597477df7860daa5aa0fdd84bf5208a043ab96b8e96ab708770ae0364dd03213"},
+    {file = "flake8-7.1.1.tar.gz", hash = "sha256:049d058491e228e03e67b390f311bbf88fce2dbaa8fa673e7aea87b7198b8d38"},
+]
+
+[package.dependencies]
+mccabe = ">=0.7.0,<0.8.0"
+pycodestyle = ">=2.12.0,<2.13.0"
+pyflakes = ">=3.2.0,<3.3.0"
+
+[[package]]
+name = "iniconfig"
+version = "2.0.0"
+description = "brain-dead simple config-ini parsing"
+optional = false
+python-versions = ">=3.7"
+files = [
+    {file = "iniconfig-2.0.0-py3-none-any.whl", hash = "sha256:b6a85871a79d2e3b22d2d1b94ac2824226a63c6b741c88f7ae975f18b6778374"},
+    {file = "iniconfig-2.0.0.tar.gz", hash = "sha256:2d91e135bf72d31a410b17c16da610a82cb55f6b0477d1a902134b24a455b8b3"},
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "mccabe"
+version = "0.7.0"
+description = "McCabe checker, plugin for flake8"
+optional = false
+python-versions = ">=3.6"
+files = [
+    {file = "mccabe-0.7.0-py2.py3-none-any.whl", hash = "sha256:6c2d30ab6be0e4a46919781807b4f0d834ebdd6c6e3dca0bda5a15f863427b6e"},
+    {file = "mccabe-0.7.0.tar.gz", hash = "sha256:348e0240c33b60bbdf4e523192ef919f28cb2c3d7d5c7794f74009290f236325"},
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "packaging"
+version = "24.2"
+description = "Core utilities for Python packages"
+optional = false
+python-versions = ">=3.8"
+files = [
+    {file = "packaging-24.2-py3-none-any.whl", hash = "sha256:09abb1bccd265c01f4a3aa3f7a7db064b36514d2cba19a2f694fe6150451a759"},
+    {file = "packaging-24.2.tar.gz", hash = "sha256:c228a6dc5e932d346bc5739379109d49e8853dd8223571c7c5b55260edc0b97f"},
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "pluggy"
+version = "1.5.0"
+description = "plugin and hook calling mechanisms for python"
+optional = false
+python-versions = ">=3.8"
+files = [
+    {file = "pluggy-1.5.0-py3-none-any.whl", hash = "sha256:44e1ad92c8ca002de6377e165f3e0f1be63266ab4d554740532335b9d75ea669"},
+    {file = "pluggy-1.5.0.tar.gz", hash = "sha256:2cffa88e94fdc978c4c574f15f9e59b7f4201d439195c3715ca9e2486f1d0cf1"},
+]
+
+[package.extras]
+dev = ["pre-commit", "tox"]
+testing = ["pytest", "pytest-benchmark"]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "pycodestyle"
+version = "2.12.1"
+description = "Python style guide checker"
+optional = false
+python-versions = ">=3.8"
+files = [
+    {file = "pycodestyle-2.12.1-py2.py3-none-any.whl", hash = "sha256:46f0fb92069a7c28ab7bb558f05bfc0110dac69a0cd23c61ea0040283a9d78b3"},
+    {file = "pycodestyle-2.12.1.tar.gz", hash = "sha256:6838eae08bbce4f6accd5d5572075c63626a15ee3e6f842df996bf62f6d73521"},
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "pyflakes"
+version = "3.2.0"
+description = "passive checker of Python programs"
+optional = false
+python-versions = ">=3.8"
+files = [
+    {file = "pyflakes-3.2.0-py2.py3-none-any.whl", hash = "sha256:84b5be138a2dfbb40689ca07e2152deb896a65c3a3e24c251c5c62489568074a"},
+    {file = "pyflakes-3.2.0.tar.gz", hash = "sha256:1c61603ff154621fb2a9172037d84dca3500def8c8b630657d1701f026f8af3f"},
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "pytest"
+version = "8.3.3"
+description = "pytest: simple powerful testing with Python"
+optional = false
+python-versions = ">=3.8"
+files = [
+    {file = "pytest-8.3.3-py3-none-any.whl", hash = "sha256:a6853c7375b2663155079443d2e45de913a911a11d669df02a50814944db57b2"},
+    {file = "pytest-8.3.3.tar.gz", hash = "sha256:70b98107bd648308a7952b06e6ca9a50bc660be218d53c257cc1fc94fda10181"},
+]
+
+[package.dependencies]
+colorama = {version = "*", markers = "sys_platform == \"win32\""}
+exceptiongroup = {version = ">=1.0.0rc8", markers = "python_version < \"3.11\""}
+iniconfig = "*"
+packaging = "*"
+pluggy = ">=1.5,<2"
+tomli = {version = ">=1", markers = "python_version < \"3.11\""}
+
+[package.extras]
+dev = ["argcomplete", "attrs (>=19.2)", "hypothesis (>=3.56)", "mock", "pygments (>=2.7.2)", "requests", "setuptools", "xmlschema"]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "stopit"
+version = "1.1.2"
+description = "Timeout control decorator and context managers, raise any exception in another thread"
+optional = false
+python-versions = "*"
+files = [
+    {file = "stopit-1.1.2.tar.gz", hash = "sha256:f7f39c583fd92027bd9d06127b259aee7a5b7945c1f1fa56263811e1e766996d"},
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "tomli"
+version = "2.0.2"
+description = "A lil' TOML parser"
+optional = false
+python-versions = ">=3.8"
+files = [
+    {file = "tomli-2.0.2-py3-none-any.whl", hash = "sha256:2ebe24485c53d303f690b0ec092806a085f07af5a5aa1464f3931eec36caaa38"},
+    {file = "tomli-2.0.2.tar.gz", hash = "sha256:d46d457a85337051c36524bc5349dd91b1877838e2979ac5ced3e710ed8a60ed"},
+]
+
+[metadata]
+lock-version = "2.0"
+python-versions = "^3.10"
+content-hash = "9b0ecac70f16d2ff915749f66773e97bd8e41a755e4305c71ce98e902b03f414"
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3bfb2a2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+[tool.poetry]
+name = "picas"
+version = "0.3.1"
+description = "Python client using CouchDB as a token pool server."
+authors = ["Jan Bot, Joris Borgdorff, Lodewijk Nauta, Haili Hu"]
+license = "MIT"
+readme = "README.md"
+
+[tool.poetry.dependencies]
+python = "^3.10"
+couchdb = "^1.2"
+stopit = "^1.1.2"
+
+[tool.poetry.group.test.dependencies]
+pytest = "^8.3.3"
+flake8 = "^7.1.1"
+
+[tool.poetry.group.test]
+optional = true
+
+[build-system]
+requires = ["poetry-core"]
+build-backend = "poetry.core.masonry.api"
diff --git a/setup.cfg b/setup.cfg
deleted file mode 100644
index c40b046..0000000
--- a/setup.cfg
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,5 +0,0 @@
-[metadata]
-description-file = README.md
-
-[flake8]
-max-line-length = 199
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
deleted file mode 100755
index adab77f..0000000
--- a/setup.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,26 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env python
-try:
-    from setuptools import setup
-except ImportError:
-    from distutils.core import setup
-
-
-setup(name='picas',
-      version='0.3.0',
-      description='Python client using CouchDB as a token pool server.',
-      author='Jan Bot,Joris Borgdorff,Lodewijk Nauta',
-      author_email='helpdesk@surf.nl',
-      url='https://github.com/sara-nl/picasclient',
-      download_url='https://github.com/sara-nl/picasclient/tarball/0.3.0',
-      packages=['picas'],
-      install_requires=['couchdb', 'stopit'],
-      license="MIT",
-      extras_require={
-          'test': ['flake8', 'pytest'],
-      },
-      classifiers=[
-        "Development Status :: 4 - Beta",
-        "Topic :: Utilities",
-        "License :: OSI Approved :: MIT License",
-        ]
-      )