• LISTS
  • COUNTS
  • FILTERS
  • HUMAN

How to audit library shelves with your AI

Connect Calibre-Web to your AI client to query your book collections using plain English.

Ask AI about this page

Short answer

Can my AI pull book lists from my Calibre-Web shelves?

Yes. Your AI uses the Calibre-Web MCP to fetch book data from any shelf you name. You'll get specific lists, counts, and filtered views of your library. Here is how it works.

The outcomes.

Where your data lands.

The AI turns your questions into these specific results.

LISTS

Direct book lists

The AI pulls every title from a specific shelf. You get a clean list of books and authors in your chat.

COUNTS

Inventory totals

Ask for the number of books in a collection. The AI tallies the contents of your defined shelves.

FILTERS

Targeted searches

Combine shelf names with specific criteria. You can find all sci-fi books within a larger 'To Read' shelf.

HUMAN

Manual management

The AI only reads shelf data. You still need to move books or edit metadata inside the Calibre-Web interface.

The workflow

What your AI does when the request arrives.

The AI acts as the bridge between your chat and your library data.

  1. Identify the shelf

    Your AI parses your request to find the exact shelf name you want to check.

    get_opds_shelf

  2. Fetch book data

    The AI reaches into Calibre-Web to grab the metadata for every item on that shelf.

    get_opds_shelf

  3. Filter and count

    The AI organizes the raw book data to match your specific question, like counting authors or finding genres.

    get_opds_shelf

  4. Present results

    The AI formats the list or count into a readable response in your chat window.

    get_opds_shelf

Try it

Copy these to start.

Use these prompts to begin auditing your library.

Starting points

Swap out the shelf names in these examples for the actual names in your library.

Calibre-Web Connector

You're all set. Choose your MCP client and follow the setup instructions.

Connector linkhttps://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_hRedSJB5J90CGp8awAuMgjxWwIuqFDQ7SBwMKw7J/mcp

Claude Desktop

Follow the steps below to connect in seconds.

  1. 1In Claude Desktop, open Settings → Connectors.
  2. 2Click “Add custom connector” and paste the connector link above as the remote MCP server URL.
  3. 3Click Add and start a new chat — Calibre-Web capabilities are ready to use.
Configuration · claude_desktop_config.jsonCopy
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "calibre-web-mcp": {
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_hRedSJB5J90CGp8awAuMgjxWwIuqFDQ7SBwMKw7J/mcp"
    }
  }
}
Copy into chat04

  • List all the books in my 'Science Fiction' shelf.

  • How many books are currently in my 'Unread' shelf?

  • Show me all authors in the 'History' shelf.

  • Which books in my 'Favorites' shelf were published after 2010?

  • Claude
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Start here

Connect Calibre-Web once, then ask.

Link your library with one click. Your credentials stay encrypted, and you can start chatting with your books immediately.

Connect Calibre-Web to your AI

FAQ

How this task behaves.

  • 01

    Can the AI add new books to my library?

    No. This MCP is designed to read shelf data. It cannot add, delete, or modify books in Calibre-Web.

  • 02

    Can the AI change the metadata of my books?

    No. The AI can only retrieve existing information from your shelves.

  • 03

    Does the AI see my entire library at once?

    No. The AI only accesses the specific shelves you ask it to look at using the shelf tool.

  • 04

    Can I use this with any AI client?

    Yes, as long as the client supports the Model Context Protocol (MCP).

  • 05

    Can the AI delete a shelf?

    No. The AI has no permission to delete or alter the structure of your Calibre-Web instance.

  • More questions about Calibre-Web? See everything the Calibre-Web Connector can do

Connect Calibre-Web to Claude, Cursor, ChatGPT & more