openlibrary-mcp-server

io.github.cyanheads/openlibrary-mcp-serverVersion 0.4.0

Search books and authors, fetch editions, browse subjects, and resolve cover images.

Status

Responds513 msNov 14, 2026, 14:48 UTCAnswered our handshake without sign-in.

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Last checked: Nov 14, 2026, 14:48 UTC
Latency: 513 ms
Remotes responding: 1 of 1
Sign-in: No sign-in
Hosting: Hosted outside the EU (detected)
Registry data as of: Nov 14, 2026, 22:14 UTC

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Connect

Streamable HTTP

https://openlibrary.caseyjhand.com/mcpResponds513 msNov 14, 2026, 14:48 UTC

No sign-in

Claude Code

claude mcp add --transport http openlibrary-mcp-server https://openlibrary.caseyjhand.com/mcp

Claude Desktop and claude.ai

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Settings > Connectors > Add custom connector
Name: openlibrary-mcp-server
Remote MCP server URL: https://openlibrary.caseyjhand.com/mcp

Cursor

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "openlibrary-mcp-server": {
      "url": "https://openlibrary.caseyjhand.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}

VS Code

code --add-mcp '{"name":"openlibrary-mcp-server","type":"http","url":"https://openlibrary.caseyjhand.com/mcp"}'

Streamable HTTP

npm: @cyanheads/openlibrary-mcp-server 0.4.0

Package only

npm (npx)

claude mcp add openlibrary-mcp-server -- npx -y @cyanheads/openlibrary-mcp-server@0.4.0

Streamable HTTP

npm: @cyanheads/openlibrary-mcp-server 0.4.0

Package only

npm (npx)

claude mcp add openlibrary-mcp-server -- npx -y @cyanheads/openlibrary-mcp-server@0.4.0

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Tools

10 tools

Tools of openlibrary-mcp-server
	Description		Read-only	Idempotent	Open world
`openlibrary_get_author`Fetch author detail by Open Library Author ID (OL…A). Returns bio, birth/death dates, photo IDs, and linked identifiers from Wikidata, VIAF, ISNI, Goodreads, and LibraryThing. Use openlibrary_search_authors to find an author ID first.	Fetch author detail by Open Library Author ID (OL…A). Returns bio, birth/death dates, photo IDs, and linked identifiers from Wikidata, VIAF, ISNI, Goodreads, and LibraryThing. Use openlibrary_search_authors to find an author ID first.	Not declared	Yes	Yes	Yes
`openlibrary_get_author_works`List works by an author. Returns titles, cover IDs, and work OLIDs for drilling into editions or details. Use openlibrary_get_author for author bio and details, or openlibrary_get_editions to explore specific printings.	List works by an author. Returns titles, cover IDs, and work OLIDs for drilling into editions or details. Use openlibrary_get_author for author bio and details, or openlibrary_get_editions to explore specific printings.	Not declared	Yes	Not declared	Yes
`openlibrary_get_cover_url`Construct a cover image URL for a book or author photo without fetching the image. Returns a direct HTTPS URL in the requested size (S/M/L). The identifier format is validated locally: "id" must be numeric, "isbn" 10 or 13 digits (an ISBN-10 may end in an X check digit), "olid" an edition OLID (OL…M) for target "book" and an author OLID (OL…A) for target "author". Identifiers with path separators or control characters, and author-by-ISBN lookups, are rejected. A returned URL does not verify that a cover exists.	Construct a cover image URL for a book or author photo without fetching the image. Returns a direct HTTPS URL in the requested size (S/M/L). The identifier format is validated locally: "id" must be numeric, "isbn" 10 or 13 digits (an ISBN-10 may end in an X check digit), "olid" an edition OLID (OL…M) for target "book" and an author OLID (OL…A) for target "author". Identifiers with path separators or control characters, and author-by-ISBN lookups, are rejected. A returned URL does not verify that a cover exists.	Not declared	Yes	Yes	Not declared
`openlibrary_get_edition`Resolve one or more editions by identifier: ISBN-10, ISBN-13, OCLC, LCCN, or Open Library Edition ID (OL…M). Every identifier in a call shares one id_type — pass id_type "isbn" for both ISBN-10 and ISBN-13. Up to 50 identifiers resolve in a single upstream batch; with limit clamping enabled, exact duplicates collapse and remaining identifiers are returned as unprocessed for another call. Returns full edition metadata including authors, publisher, languages, all identifier types, and the parent work ID. Author names come inline when recorded; otherwise bounded lookups recover parent-work credits marked as such, and a notice names any edition whose recovery failed. Identifiers that resolve come back in editions; processed misses are listed in unresolved with a reason. The call fails only when no processed identifier resolves, and any unprocessed remainder remains in its error data and recovery guidance.	Resolve one or more editions by identifier: ISBN-10, ISBN-13, OCLC, LCCN, or Open Library Edition ID (OL…M). Every identifier in a call shares one id_type — pass id_type "isbn" for both ISBN-10 and ISBN-13. Up to 50 identifiers resolve in a single upstream batch; with limit clamping enabled, exact duplicates collapse and remaining identifiers are returned as unprocessed for another call. Returns full edition metadata including authors, publisher, languages, all identifier types, and the parent work ID. Author names come inline when recorded; otherwise bounded lookups recover parent-work credits marked as such, and a notice names any edition whose recovery failed. Identifiers that resolve come back in editions; processed misses are listed in unresolved with a reason. The call fails only when no processed identifier resolves, and any unprocessed remainder remains in its error data and recovery guidance.	Not declared	Yes	Yes	Yes
`openlibrary_get_editions`List editions of a work — different publishers, languages, formats, and print runs. Returns ISBNs, publisher, language, page count, and edition OLIDs. Use after openlibrary_get_work or openlibrary_search_books to find a specific printing. A merged work ID resolves to the work it was merged into. To reach a work from an ISBN, call openlibrary_get_edition with id_type "isbn" — its work_id output is the parent work.	List editions of a work — different publishers, languages, formats, and print runs. Returns ISBNs, publisher, language, page count, and edition OLIDs. Use after openlibrary_get_work or openlibrary_search_books to find a specific printing. A merged work ID resolves to the work it was merged into. To reach a work from an ISBN, call openlibrary_get_edition with id_type "isbn" — its work_id output is the parent work.	Not declared	Yes	Yes	Yes
`openlibrary_get_subject`Browse works by subject. Returns matching works with edition counts and cover IDs, plus the total work count for the subject. Case and spacing are normalized before lookup, so "Science Fiction" and "science_fiction" are the same request. Subject tags are user-contributed and the vocabulary varies — when a subject returns no works, try a different word form (singular/plural), a synonym, or a broader term.	Browse works by subject. Returns matching works with edition counts and cover IDs, plus the total work count for the subject. Case and spacing are normalized before lookup, so "Science Fiction" and "science_fiction" are the same request. Subject tags are user-contributed and the vocabulary varies — when a subject returns no works, try a different word form (singular/plural), a synonym, or a broader term.	Not declared	Yes	Not declared	Yes
`openlibrary_get_work`Fetch a work by Open Library Work ID (OL…W). Returns title, description, subjects, cover IDs, and linked author IDs for follow-up lookups. Works represent the abstract book concept independent of any specific edition. A merged work ID resolves to the work it was merged into. To reach a work from an ISBN, call openlibrary_get_edition with id_type "isbn" — its work_id output is the parent work. Note: author names are not included — use openlibrary_get_author or openlibrary_search_books for names.	Fetch a work by Open Library Work ID (OL…W). Returns title, description, subjects, cover IDs, and linked author IDs for follow-up lookups. Works represent the abstract book concept independent of any specific edition. A merged work ID resolves to the work it was merged into. To reach a work from an ISBN, call openlibrary_get_edition with id_type "isbn" — its work_id output is the parent work. Note: author names are not included — use openlibrary_get_author or openlibrary_search_books for names.	Not declared	Yes	Yes	Yes
`openlibrary_search_authors`Search Open Library authors by name. Returns Open Library Author IDs, names, birth/death dates, top works, and subject associations. Use author IDs for openlibrary_get_author (bio, remote IDs) or openlibrary_get_author_works (list of works).	Search Open Library authors by name. Returns Open Library Author IDs, names, birth/death dates, top works, and subject associations. Use author IDs for openlibrary_get_author (bio, remote IDs) or openlibrary_get_author_works (list of works).	Not declared	Yes	Not declared	Yes
`openlibrary_search_books`Full-text book search across Open Library works. Supports field filters (title, author, subject, publisher, ISBN, language) and returns work-level records with edition counts, cover IDs, and reading availability. Use query for general search or combine specific field filters. Results are work-level — drill into editions via openlibrary_get_editions.	Full-text book search across Open Library works. Supports field filters (title, author, subject, publisher, ISBN, language) and returns work-level records with edition counts, cover IDs, and reading availability. Use query for general search or combine specific field filters. Results are work-level — drill into editions via openlibrary_get_editions.	Not declared	Yes	Not declared	Yes
`openlibrary_search_inside`Search the full text of books scanned by the Internet Archive — the "which book contains this passage?" lookup that the metadata tools cannot answer. Quote a phrase for an exact-phrase match; bare terms match anywhere in the text. Each result is an Internet Archive item with the matching passages as snippets, plus a relevance score. The full-text index is far slower than the metadata endpoints, and a search usually takes 10–30 seconds. Use it when the passage is the question, and use openlibrary_search_books to search by title, author, or subject. Results key on Internet Archive items rather than Open Library works: chain the returned ia_identifier to archive.org, or match it against the ia_identifiers on openlibrary_search_books results to reach the catalogue record.	Search the full text of books scanned by the Internet Archive — the "which book contains this passage?" lookup that the metadata tools cannot answer. Quote a phrase for an exact-phrase match; bare terms match anywhere in the text. Each result is an Internet Archive item with the matching passages as snippets, plus a relevance score. The full-text index is far slower than the metadata endpoints, and a search usually takes 10–30 seconds. Use it when the passage is the question, and use openlibrary_search_books to search by title, author, or subject. Results key on Internet Archive items rather than Open Library works: chain the returned ia_identifier to archive.org, or match it against the ia_identifiers on openlibrary_search_books results to reach the catalogue record.	Not declared	Yes	Not declared	Yes

Details

Registry status: Active
Published: Oct 26, 2026
Updated: Oct 26, 2026
Website: Not given
Repository: https://github.com/cyanheads/openlibrary-mcp-server⁠ (opens in a new tab)
Categories (suggested): Design and mediaSuggested categories are assigned automatically from the registry text and may be wrong. Verified operators can correct them.
GDPR: Not declared

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