diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index b1a3596..5009014 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
  */
 plugins {
     id 'java'
+    id 'java-library' // give us access to api/implementation differences for building java libraries
     id 'maven'
 
 //    // setup checking for the latest version of a plugin or dependency (and updating the gradle build)
@@ -50,26 +51,26 @@ repositories {
 }
 
 dependencies {
-    implementation group: 'org.slf4j', name: 'slf4j-api', version: '1.7.25'
+    api group: 'org.slf4j', name: 'slf4j-api', version: '1.7.25'
 
-    implementation group: 'com.github.jponge', name: 'lzma-java', version: '1.3'
-    implementation group: 'com.fasterxml.uuid', name: 'java-uuid-generator', version: '3.1.5'
+    api group: 'com.github.jponge', name: 'lzma-java', version: '1.3'
+    api group: 'com.fasterxml.uuid', name: 'java-uuid-generator', version: '3.1.5'
 
-    implementation group: 'com.esotericsoftware', name: 'kryo', version: '4.0.2'
-    implementation group: 'io.netty', name: 'netty-all', version: '4.1.24.Final'
+    api group: 'com.esotericsoftware', name: 'kryo', version: '4.0.2'
+    api group: 'io.netty', name: 'netty-all', version: '4.1.24.Final'
 
-    implementation group: 'org.bouncycastle', name: 'bcprov-jdk15on', version: bcVersion
-    implementation group: 'org.bouncycastle', name: 'bcpg-jdk15on', version: bcVersion
-    implementation group: 'org.bouncycastle', name: 'bcmail-jdk15on', version: bcVersion
-//    implementation group: 'org.bouncycastle', name: 'bctls-jdk15on', version: bcVersion
+    api group: 'org.bouncycastle', name: 'bcprov-jdk15on', version: bcVersion
+    api group: 'org.bouncycastle', name: 'bcpg-jdk15on', version: bcVersion
+    api group: 'org.bouncycastle', name: 'bcmail-jdk15on', version: bcVersion
+//    api group: 'org.bouncycastle', name: 'bctls-jdk15on', version: bcVersion
 
-    implementation group: 'org.lwjgl', name: 'lwjgl-xxhash', version: '3.2.0'
-    implementation group: 'org.javassist', name: 'javassist', version: '3.23.0-GA'
-    
-    implementation group: 'com.dorkbox', name: 'ShellExecutor', version: '1.1+'
+    api group: 'org.lwjgl', name: 'lwjgl-xxhash', version: '3.2.0'
+    api group: 'org.javassist', name: 'javassist', version: '3.23.0-GA'
 
-    implementation group: 'net.java.dev.jna', name: 'jna', version: jnaVersion
-    implementation group: 'net.java.dev.jna', name: 'jna-platform', version: jnaVersion
+    api group: 'com.dorkbox', name: 'ShellExecutor', version: '1.1+'
+
+    api group: 'net.java.dev.jna', name: 'jna', version: jnaVersion
+    api group: 'net.java.dev.jna', name: 'jna-platform', version: jnaVersion
 
     // unit testing
     testImplementation group: 'junit', name: 'junit', version: '4.12'