diff --git a/Project.toml b/Project.toml
index d32e41c..61eddef 100644
--- a/Project.toml
+++ b/Project.toml
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ Distributions = "0.23, 0.24, 0.25"
 ElasticArrays = "1"
 IntervalSets = "0.5, 0.6, 0.7"
 JSON = "0.21"
-LegendDataManagement = "0.2.1, 0.3, 0.4"
+LegendDataManagement = "0.2.8, 0.3, 0.4"
 LegendDataTypes = "0.1"
 LegendHDF5IO = "0.1"
 LegendTextIO = "0.1"
diff --git a/src/detector.jl b/src/detector.jl
index ae1c91e..6fc5916 100644
--- a/src/detector.jl
+++ b/src/detector.jl
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ end
 
 # user generates detector metadata in code
 function simulate_fields(detector_metadata::AbstractString, environment_settings::PropDict, simulation_settings::PropDict; overwrite::Bool = false)    
-    simulate_fields(propdict(detector_metadata), environment_settings, simulation_settings; overwrite)
+    simulate_fields(readlprops(detector_metadata), environment_settings, simulation_settings; overwrite)
 end
 
 # user launches directly inputting separate dicts
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ end
 
 # user launches with all settings in json
 function simulate_fields(detector_metadata::Union{AbstractString, PropDict}, all_settings::AbstractString; overwrite::Bool = false)
-    simulate_fields(detector_metadata, propdict(all_settings); overwrite)
+    simulate_fields(detector_metadata, readlprops(all_settings); overwrite)
 end
 
 
diff --git a/src/impurity.jl b/src/impurity.jl
index a4d67a3..d604f92 100644
--- a/src/impurity.jl
+++ b/src/impurity.jl
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ function impurity_density_model(meta::PropDict, crystal_metadata_path::AbstractS
         @error "Crystal $(crystal_name) does not exist in path $crystal_metadata_path"
     end
 
-    crystal_dict = propdict(crystal_path)
+    crystal_dict = readlprops(crystal_path)
     
     # get fit parameters in crystal metadata coordinates i.e. e/cm^3 VS mm
     fit_param = impurity_density_model(crystal_dict)
diff --git a/src/legend_detector_to_ssd.jl b/src/legend_detector_to_ssd.jl
index 183ca7f..5bb4589 100644
--- a/src/legend_detector_to_ssd.jl
+++ b/src/legend_detector_to_ssd.jl
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ to_SSD_units(::Type{T}, x, unit) where {T} = T(SolidStateDetectors.to_internal_u
 
 # if just want geometry
 function LEGEND_SolidStateDetector(metapath::AbstractString)
-    LEGEND_SolidStateDetector(propdict(metapath))
+    LEGEND_SolidStateDetector(readlprops(metapath))
 end
 
 function LEGEND_SolidStateDetector(meta::PropDict)
diff --git a/src/pet_to_raw.jl b/src/pet_to_raw.jl
index 6146516..736b534 100644
--- a/src/pet_to_raw.jl
+++ b/src/pet_to_raw.jl
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ end
 # user launches directly inputting separate dicts
 function simulate_raw(detector_metadata::AbstractString, pet_filename::AbstractString, environment_settings::Union{Dict,PropDict},
     simulation_settings::Union{Dict,PropDict}, setup_settings::Union{Dict,PropDict}, noise_settings::Union{Dict,PropDict}=Dict("type"=>"none"); n_waveforms::Int = 0)
-    pet_to_raw(propdict(detector_metadata), pet_filename,
+    pet_to_raw(readlprops(detector_metadata), pet_filename,
         PropDict(environment_settings), PropDict(simulation_settings), PropDict(setup_settings), PropDict(noise_settings); n_waveforms)    
 end
 
@@ -51,5 +51,5 @@ end
 
 # user launches with all settings in json
 function simulate_raw(detector_metadata::AbstractString, pet_filename::AbstractString, all_settings::AbstractString; n_waveforms::Int = 0)
-    simulate_raw(detector_metadata, pet_filename, propdict(all_settings); n_waveforms)
+    simulate_raw(detector_metadata, pet_filename, readlprops(all_settings); n_waveforms)
 end
diff --git a/src/stp_to_pss.jl b/src/stp_to_pss.jl
index 23e11a2..8b71980 100644
--- a/src/stp_to_pss.jl
+++ b/src/stp_to_pss.jl
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ end
 function simulate_pulses(detector_metadata::AbstractString, pet_filename::AbstractString, environment_settings::Union{Dict,PropDict},
     simulation_settings::Union{Dict,PropDict}, noise_settings::Union{Dict,PropDict} = Dict("type" => "none"); n_waveforms::Int = 0)
     ## step 1: stepping information
-    det_meta = propdict(detector_metadata)
+    det_meta = readlprops(detector_metadata)
 
     stp_table = pet_to_stp(det_meta, pet_filename)
     # truncate if asked by user
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ end
 
 # user launches with all settings in json
 function simulate_pulses(detector_metadata::AbstractString, pet_filename::AbstractString, all_settings::AbstractString; n_waveforms::Int = 0)
-    simulate_pulses(detector_metadata, pet_filename, propdict(all_settings); n_waveforms)
+    simulate_pulses(detector_metadata, pet_filename, readlprops(all_settings); n_waveforms)
 end
 
 
diff --git a/src/temp_utils.jl b/src/temp_utils.jl
index ac00cd3..9dded0d 100644
--- a/src/temp_utils.jl
+++ b/src/temp_utils.jl
@@ -11,23 +11,6 @@ E.g. filename("/some/path/to/file_name.ext") -> "file_name"
 filename(path) = splitext(basename(path))[1]
 
 
-# this should be in PropDicts?
-"""
-    propdict(json_file)
-
-AbstractString -> PropDict 
-
-Construct a PropDict based on given <json_file>.
-Alias for `readprops` from PropDicts.jl
-    
-"""
-function propdict(json_file::AbstractString)
-    readprops(json_file)
-end
-
-    
-
-
 """
     remove_negative(value)