Open Library
A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for the Internet Archive's Open Library API that enables AI assistants to search for book and author information.
What is Open Library?
Open Library is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to model context protocol (mcp) server for the internet archive's open library api that enables ai assistants to search for book and author information.
A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for the Internet Archive's Open Library API that enables AI assistants to search for book and author information.
This server falls under the Search & Data Extraction category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for the Internet Archi
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
Manual Installation
npx mcp-open-libraryConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use Open Library
The Open Library MCP server connects AI assistants to the Internet Archive's Open Library API, giving them the ability to search for books by title, look up authors by name, retrieve detailed author profiles, fetch book cover image URLs, and look up books by ISBN or other identifiers. It requires no API key since the Open Library API is publicly available, making it an easy drop-in for any AI workflow that needs book and author data.
Prerequisites
- Node.js 18 or later installed
- An MCP-compatible client such as Claude Desktop or Claude Code
- No API key required — the Open Library API is free and public
Verify Node.js is installed
The server runs via npx and requires Node.js 18 or later. Check your version before proceeding.
node --versionConfigure your MCP client
Add the mcp-open-library server to your MCP client configuration. No API key or environment variables are required.
{
"mcpServers": {
"open-library": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "mcp-open-library"]
}
}
}Restart your MCP client
Restart Claude Desktop or reload your MCP client to load the new server. On first run, npx will download and cache the package automatically.
Search for a book
Ask your AI assistant to find a book by title. The get_book_by_title tool returns structured data including authors, publication year, edition count, and cover image URL.
Look up an author
Use the get_authors_by_name tool to search for an author, then use get_author_info with their Open Library key for full biographical details including birth date, top works, and work count.
Open Library Examples
Client configuration
Add this block to your claude_desktop_config.json. No API keys needed.
{
"mcpServers": {
"open-library": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "mcp-open-library"]
}
}
}Prompts to try
Example prompts to use with the Open Library MCP server once connected.
- "Find information about the book 'The Hobbit'"
- "Search for author J.R.R. Tolkien and show me their biography"
- "Get the cover image for ISBN 978-0-06-112008-4"
- "How many editions of Dune exist in the Open Library?"
- "Look up detailed information about author Ursula K. Le Guin"Troubleshooting Open Library
No results returned for a book search
The Open Library API uses fuzzy matching but may not find all titles. Try variations of the title, or use get_book_by_id with an ISBN if you have one. Some older or obscure titles may have limited metadata.
npx fails to download the package
Check your internet connection and npm registry access. Try running 'npx -y mcp-open-library' manually in your terminal to see any error output. You can also install globally first with 'npm install -g mcp-open-library'.
Author photo URL returns a broken image
The get_author_photo tool constructs URLs from the author's OLID. Ensure you have a valid OLID from a prior author search. Some authors may not have photos in the Open Library database.
Frequently Asked Questions about Open Library
What is Open Library?
Open Library is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that model context protocol (mcp) server for the internet archive's open library api that enables ai assistants to search for book and author information. It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install Open Library?
Follow the installation instructions on the Open Library GitHub repository. Clone the repo, install dependencies, and add the server config to your AI client.
Which AI clients work with Open Library?
Open Library works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is Open Library free to use?
Yes, Open Library is open source and available under the MIT License license. You can use it freely in both personal and commercial projects.
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Set Up Open Library in Your Editor
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Quick Config Preview
Add this to your claude_desktop_config.json or .cursor/mcp.json
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