Open Library Connector for AI agents.
10 live capabilities
Find book metadata and author bibliographies.
Waiting for input…
Why people use Open Library
Open Library for Bibliographic Research
With this Connector, your AI agent pulls all that data into one place instantly. You get a clean list of metadata or a full bibliography in seconds without leaving your chat window.
What Vinkius changes
You get instant access to a massive bibliographic database through a simple chat interface.
Use it from Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor or another AI client you already have.
One account · 5,900+ Connectors
- Real-world use case 01
Academic Citation Audit
A researcher asks the agent to find all works by a specific author to verify a bibliography.
- Real-world use case 02
Niche Topic Discovery
A student wants to find every book related to "Quantum Ethics" and gets a curated list of relevant titles using `get_subject`.
- Real-world use case 03
Personal Library Management
A book lover asks the agent to find the ISBN and rating for a specific title to add to their spreadsheet using `get_book_by_isbn` and `get_book_ratings`.
Complete set · 10capabilities
The complete Open Library capability set.
These are the exact actions your AI can choose when you ask it to work with Open Library.
01—04
4 capabilities in this set.
Part of 10 available through Open Library.
- 01 Capability
Get author works
Get a full list of works for a specific author. It's the fastest way to see a writer's entire published history.
- 02 Capability
Get book ratings
Get ratings for a specific work. Use this to see what the community thinks of a particular title.
- 03 Capability
Get recent changes
Get recent changes on Open Library. Stay updated on the latest additions or corrections to the database.
- 04 Capability
Get subject
Get books related to a specific subject. Use this to find literature on any topic you are researching.
05—07
3 capabilities in this set.
Part of 10 available through Open Library.
- 05 Capability
Get work
Get details for a specific work. This provides the deep metadata for a single book or literary item.
- 06 Capability
Search authors
Search for authors by name or other identifiers. Use this to find the correct author key before pulling their works.
- 07 Capability
Get author
Get specific details about an author using their unique key. This helps you quickly identify the correct person in a database.
08—10
3 capabilities in this set.
Part of 10 available through Open Library.
- 08 Capability
Get book by isbn
Get book details using a specific ISBN. This is perfect for looking up exact metadata for a specific edition.
- 09 Capability
Get lists
Get public lists for a user. This helps you see what other people have curated in the library.
- 10 Capability
Search books
Search for books on the Open Library catalog. This is your primary way to find titles based on keywords or names.
Set up in minutes
One URL. Then ask Open Library to work.
Claude and ChatGPT only need the Connector URL. Copy it once, add it in settings, and use Open Library from the conversation.
Choose your client
Live previewAdvanced clients IDE · CLI
Claude · Web + desktop
Connector URL · ready to paste
Streamable HTTPhttps://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_uNPfAV6ifbW9scnHxo5DK14859lHFAN934IN2lOT/mcp - Step 01
Open Connectors
In Claude Web or Claude Desktop, open Settings and choose Connectors.
- Step 02
Add the URL
Choose Add custom connector, name it Open Library, and paste the URL above.
- Step 03
Turn it on in chat
Select +, open Connectors, and enable Open Library for the conversation.
ChatGPT · Web + desktop
Connector URL · ready to paste
Streamable HTTPhttps://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_uNPfAV6ifbW9scnHxo5DK14859lHFAN934IN2lOT/mcp - Step 01
Open MCP settings
On desktop, open Settings and MCP servers. On web, open your workspace app or connector settings.
- Step 02
Add the URL
Choose Add server with Streamable HTTP, or create a custom MCP app, then paste the Open Library URL.
- Step 03
Save and start
Save the connection and enable Open Library in your conversation. Desktop may ask you to restart once.
Cursor · IDE configuration
Advanced setup
{
"mcpServers": {
"open-library": {
"url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_uNPfAV6ifbW9scnHxo5DK14859lHFAN934IN2lOT/mcp"
}
}
}- Step 01
Open MCP Settings
Press Cmd+Shift+P (macOS) or Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows/Linux) → search "MCP Settings"
- Step 02
Add the server config
Paste the JSON configuration above into the mcp.json file that opens
- Step 03
Save the file
Cursor will automatically detect the new Connector
- Step 04
Start using Open Library
Open Agent mode in chat and ask: "Using Open Library, help me...". 10 tools available
VS Code Copilot · IDE configuration
Advanced setup
{
"mcpServers": {
"open-library": {
"url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_uNPfAV6ifbW9scnHxo5DK14859lHFAN934IN2lOT/mcp"
}
}
}- Step 01
Create MCP config
Create a .vscode/mcp.json file in your project root
- Step 02
Add the server config
Paste the JSON configuration above
- Step 03
Enable Agent mode
Open GitHub Copilot Chat and switch to Agent mode using the dropdown
- Step 04
Start using Open Library
Ask Copilot: "Using Open Library, help me...". 10 tools available
Windsurf · IDE configuration
Advanced setup
{
"mcpServers": {
"open-library": {
"url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_uNPfAV6ifbW9scnHxo5DK14859lHFAN934IN2lOT/mcp"
}
}
}- Step 01
Open MCP Settings
Go to Settings → MCP Configuration or press Cmd+Shift+P and search "MCP"
- Step 02
Add the server
Paste the JSON configuration above into mcp_config.json
- Step 03
Save and reload
Windsurf will detect the new server automatically
- Step 04
Start using Open Library
Open Cascade and ask: "Using Open Library, help me...". 10 tools available
Cline · IDE configuration
Advanced setup
{
"mcpServers": {
"open-library": {
"url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_uNPfAV6ifbW9scnHxo5DK14859lHFAN934IN2lOT/mcp"
}
}
}- Step 01
Open Cline MCP Settings
Click the Connectors icon in the Cline sidebar panel
- Step 02
Add remote server
Click "Add Connector" and paste the configuration above
- Step 03
Enable the server
Toggle the server switch to ON
- Step 04
Start using Open Library
Ask Cline: "Using Open Library, help me...". 10 tools available
Claude Code · Terminal command
Advanced setup
claude mcp add open-library --transport http "https://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_uNPfAV6ifbW9scnHxo5DK14859lHFAN934IN2lOT/mcp"- Step 01
Install Claude Code
Run npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code if not already installed
- Step 02
Add the Connector
Run the command above in your terminal
- Step 03
Verify the connection
Run claude mcp to list connected servers, or type /mcp inside a session
- Step 04
Start using Open Library
Ask Claude: "Using Open Library, show me...". 10 tools are ready
Where the request belongs
Work Open Library can move forward.
This is for people who spend hours digging through library catalogs, researchers verifying citations, and book lovers trying to organize huge reading lists.
Academic Researcher
Verifies citations and pulls metadata for bibliographies on a Tuesday afternoon.
Librarian
Automates catalog queries to manage large literary projects without manual entry.
Student
Checks if work keys and categories are correctly identified for school projects.
Book Blogger
Audits reading lists and finds new titles for content creation.
Build the capability set
Add more capabilities.
Each Connector adds new actions and data without changing how you work.
Browse ConnectorsGoogle Books
Search the world's most comprehensive index of full-text books, manage personal bookshelves, and retrieve detailed literary metadata.
Open Library
Universal open book database. search millions of books, authors, and editions via AI.
MIT Open Library
Access millions of books, read them online, and explore the world largest open catalog of bibliographic data for every title.
LibraryThing
Look up books by ISBN, explore works, and check library coverage. a bibliographic intelligence capability for AI agents.
OverDrive Library API
Search library collections. audit books, formats, and media via AI.
Readwise
Connect your AI agents to Readwise to manage books, highlights, tags, and spaced repetition reviews directly through natural language.
Bring your own AI
Change the model, client or framework. Keep Open Library connected.
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Claude -
ChatGPT -
Gemini -
Cursor -
VS Code -
Windsurf -
ZCode -
Cline -
Zed -
Continue -
Kiro -
Roo Code -
Zencoder -
Goose -
Void -
Augment Code -
Amp -
Qodo -
Tabnine -
Pieces -
Sourcegraph Cody -
JetBrains -
Warp -
Amazon Q -
Antigravity -
BoltAI -
Raycast -
Jan -
LM Studio -
AnythingLLM -
Open WebUI -
Msty -
Cherry Studio -
LibreChat -
TypingMind -
Chorus -
5ire -
n8n -
LangChain -
LlamaIndex -
CrewAI -
Vercel AI SDK
Before you connect
Questions about Open Library.
The practical details behind the request, access and result.
Can I use Open Library MCP for my thesis research?
Yes, it's perfect for that. You can use it to pull bibliographic data, author works, and specific metadata like ISBNs to build your citations quickly.
Does Open Library MCP require an API key to work?
No, it doesn't. Since Open Library is a free and open service, you can connect it to your AI client immediately without any extra setup.
Can I find books by subject with Open Library MCP?
Yes, you can. Just ask your agent to find books related to any topic, and it will pull a list of relevant titles from the catalog for you.
How does Open Library MCP help with book discovery?
It allows you to browse author portfolios and explore subjects in a natural way. You can ask your agent to find new titles based on what you already enjoy reading.
Can I see reader ratings with Open Library MCP?
Yes, you can. Your agent can retrieve user ratings for specific works, helping you see what the community thinks of a book before you decide to read it.
Is Open Library MCP good for finding specific ISBNs?
Yes, it's one of the best ways to do it. You can ask for a specific title and the agent will pull the ISBN and other metadata for you instantly.
Is an API Key required for Open Library?
No. Open Library is a free and open service. This server works out of the box without any static credentials required.
Can the agent search for books by ISBN?
Yes. Use the get_book_by_isbn capability providing the ISBN-10 or ISBN-13. Your agent will retrieve the specific record from the Open Library catalog instantly.
Is it possible to see an author's bibliography via the agent?
Yes. The get_author_works capability allows your agent to retrieve all known works for a specific author using their unique author key.
One connection away
Give your agent a direct line to Open Library.
Connect Open Library once. Keep it beside 5,900+ managed Connectors when the next task needs more.
Explore every Connector No credit card required · Free tier available