openlibrary-mcp-server

Get Edition

openlibrary_get_edition

Read-onlyIdempotent

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 request, so a bibliography or shelf export costs one call rather than one per book; a large batch is a large response, so ask for what you need. Returns full edition metadata including authors, publisher, language, all identifier types, and the parent work ID, with author names inline and no secondary lookup; when the edition record itself lists no authors, they are recovered from the parent work and marked as such, and a notice names any edition whose recovery failed. Partial success is the norm — identifiers that resolve come back in editions, the rest are listed in unresolved with a reason, and the call fails only when nothing resolved.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`id_type`	Yes	Identifier type shared by every entry in identifiers. "isbn" handles both ISBN-10 and ISBN-13. "olid" is the native Open Library edition ID (OL…M). Mixing types within one call is not supported — issue one call per type.
`identifiers`	Yes	Identifiers to resolve, 1–50, all of the type named by id_type. Resolved editions come back in request order.

Output Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description
`error`	No	Present when the call failed. Absent on success.
`notice`	No	Present when author lookups for some editions failed or were skipped: names those editions, whose authors are missing or shown by author ID. Absent when every lookup completed.
`editions`	No	Editions that resolved, in request order. Shorter than identifiers when any entry missed.
`unresolved`	No	Identifiers that produced no edition. Empty when every identifier resolved; never overlaps editions.

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed5 schema fields changedSep 24, 2026

changedInput schema / properties / identifiers / items / description

Previous value: -"One identifier value. For ISBN: 10 or 13 digits, hyphens optional. For OCLC: numeric string. For LCCN: string as-is. For OLID: Open Library edition ID (e.g., OL7353617M)."New value: +"One identifier value. For ISBN: 10 or 13 digits, hyphens optional — an ISBN-10 may end in an X check digit (e.g., 080442957X). For OCLC: numeric string. For LCCN: string as-is. For OLID: Open Library edition ID (e.g., OL7353617M)."

changedOutput schema / properties / editions / items / properties / authors / description

Previous value: -"Authors credited for this edition. Empty only when neither the edition nor its parent work records an author."New value: +"Authors credited for this edition. Empty when neither the edition nor its parent work records an author, or when the lookup of the parent work failed or was skipped — the notice names those editions."

changedOutput schema / properties / error / properties / data / properties / reason / description

Previous value: -"Machine-readable failure mode. Declared by this tool: `not_found`: No identifier in the batch resolved to an edition. `invalid_identifier`: Every identifier in the batch is malformed for the specified id_type. Other values are possible when a failure originates below the handler."New value: +"Machine-readable failure mode. Declared by this tool: `not_found`: No identifier in the batch resolved to an edition. `invalid_identifier`: Every identifier in the batch is malformed for the specified id_type. `upstream_unavailable`: Open Library's batch edition lookup answered with an HTTP error status other than 429, or with an HTML page instead of JSON. Other values are possible when a failure originates below the handler."

changedOutput schema / properties / error / properties / data / properties / reason / examples

Previous value: -[
-  "not_found",
-  "invalid_identifier"
-]New value: +[
+  "not_found",
+  "invalid_identifier",
+  "upstream_unavailable"
+]

addedOutput schema / properties / notice

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Present when author lookups for some editions failed or were skipped: names those editions, whose authors are missing or shown by author ID. Absent when every lookup completed.",
+  "type": "string"
+}

Changed6 schema fields changedAug 25, 2026

changedInput schema / $schema

Previous value: -"http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"New value: +"https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema"

addedInput schema / additionalProperties
```
Added value: +false
```

changedOutput schema / $schema

Previous value: -"http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"New value: +"https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema"

addedOutput schema / anyOf

Added value: +[
+  {
+    "not": {
+      "required": [
+        "error"
+      ]
+    },
+    "required": [
+      "editions",
+      "unresolved"
+    ]
+  },
+  {
+    "required": [
+      "error"
+    ]
+  }
+]

addedOutput schema / properties / error

Added value: +{
+  "additionalProperties": {},
+  "description": "Present when the call failed. Absent on success.",
+  "properties": {
+    "code": {
+      "description": "JSON-RPC error code for this failure.",
+      "maximum": 9007199254740991,
+      "minimum": -9007199254740991,
+      "type": "integer"
+    },
+    "data": {
+      "additionalProperties": {},
+      "properties": {
+        "reason": {
+          "description": "Machine-readable failure mode. Declared by this tool: `not_found`: No identifier in the batch resolved to an edition. `invalid_identifier`: Every identifier in the batch is malformed for the specified id_type. Other values are possible when a failure originates below the handler.",
+          "examples": [
+            "not_found",
+            "invalid_identifier"
+          ],
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "recovery": {
+          "additionalProperties": {},
+          "description": "Actionable next step for the caller.",
+          "properties": {
+            "hint": {
+              "type": "string"
+            }
+          },
+          "required": [
+            "hint"
+          ],
+          "type": "object"
+        },
+        "retryable": {
+          "description": "Whether retrying may succeed.",
+          "type": "boolean"
+        }
+      },
+      "type": "object"
+    },
+    "message": {
+      "description": "Human-readable description of what went wrong.",
+      "type": "string"
+    }
+  },
+  "required": [
+    "code",
+    "message"
+  ],
+  "type": "object"
+}

removedOutput schema / required

Removed value: -[
-  "editions",
-  "unresolved"
-]

Changed23 schema fields changedJul 26, 2026

changedInput schema / properties / id_type / description

Previous value: -"Identifier type. \"isbn\" handles both ISBN-10 and ISBN-13. \"olid\" is the native Open Library edition ID (OL…M)."New value: +"Identifier type shared by every entry in identifiers. \"isbn\" handles both ISBN-10 and ISBN-13. \"olid\" is the native Open Library edition ID (OL…M). Mixing types within one call is not supported — issue one call per type."

removedInput schema / properties / identifier

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "The identifier value. For ISBN: 10 or 13 digits, hyphens stripped. For OCLC: numeric string. For LCCN: string as-is. For OLID: Open Library edition ID (e.g., OL7353617M).",
-  "type": "string"
-}

addedInput schema / properties / identifiers

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Identifiers to resolve, 1–50, all of the type named by id_type. Resolved editions come back in request order.",
+  "items": {
+    "description": "One identifier value. For ISBN: 10 or 13 digits, hyphens optional. For OCLC: numeric string. For LCCN: string as-is. For OLID: Open Library edition ID (e.g., OL7353617M).",
+    "type": "string"
+  },
+  "maxItems": 50,
+  "minItems": 1,
+  "type": "array"
+}

changedInput schema / required

Previous value: -[
-  "identifier",
-  "id_type"
-]New value: +[
+  "identifiers",
+  "id_type"
+]

removedOutput schema / properties / authors

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "Authors credited for this edition. Empty only when neither the edition nor its parent work records an author.",
-  "items": {
-    "additionalProperties": false,
-    "description": "An author contributor for this edition.",
-    "properties": {
-      "author_id": {
-        "description": "Open Library Author ID (OL…A). Use openlibrary_get_author for bio and details.",
-        "type": "string"
-      },
-      "name": {
-        "description": "Author display name.",
-        "type": "string"
-      },
-      "source": {
-        "description": "\"edition\" = the attribution is recorded on this edition record. \"work\" = the edition records no authors of its own and this credit comes from the parent work, which covers every edition of the same text.",
-        "enum": [
-          "edition",
-          "work"
-        ],
-        "type": "string"
-      }
-    },
-    "required": [
-      "name",
-      "source"
-    ],
-    "type": "object"
-  },
-  "type": "array"
-}

removedOutput schema / properties / cover_ids

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "Numeric cover IDs for openlibrary_get_cover_url.",
-  "items": {
-    "type": "number"
-  },
-  "type": "array"
-}

removedOutput schema / properties / description

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "Edition description. Absent when not provided.",
-  "type": "string"
-}

removedOutput schema / properties / ebook_url

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "Internet Archive URL for reading/borrowing. Present when an IA item exists.",
-  "type": "string"
-}

removedOutput schema / properties / edition_id

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "Open Library Edition ID (OL…M).",
-  "type": "string"
-}

addedOutput schema / properties / editions

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Editions that resolved, in request order. Shorter than identifiers when any entry missed.",
+  "items": {
+    "additionalProperties": false,
+    "description": "A resolved edition record.",
+    "properties": {
+      "authors": {
+        "description": "Authors credited for this edition. Empty only when neither the edition nor its parent work records an author.",
+        "items": {
+          "additionalProperties": false,
+          "description": "An author contributor for this edition.",
+          "properties": {
+            "author_id": {
+              "description": "Open Library Author ID (OL…A). Use openlibrary_get_author for bio and details.",
+              "type": "string"
+            },
+            "name": {
+              "description": "Author display name.",
+              "type": "string"
+            },
+            "source": {
+              "description": "\"edition\" = the attribution is recorded on this edition record. \"work\" = the edition records no authors of its own and this credit comes from the parent work, which covers every edition of the same text.",
+              "enum": [
+                "edition",
+                "work"
+              ],
+              "type": "string"
+            }
+          },
+          "required": [
+            "name",
+            "source"
+          ],
+          "type": "object"
+        },
+        "type": "array"
+      },
+      "cover_ids": {
+        "description": "Numeric cover IDs for openlibrary_get_cover_url.",
+        "items": {
+          "type": "number"
+        },
+        "type": "array"
+      },
+      "description": {
+        "description": "Edition description. Absent when not provided.",
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "ebook_url": {
+        "description": "Internet Archive URL for reading/borrowing. Present when an IA item exists.",
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "edition_id": {
+        "description": "Open Library Edition ID (OL…M).",
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "isbn_10": {
+        "description": "ISBN-10 identifiers.",
+        "items": {
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "type": "array"
+      },
+      "isbn_13": {
+        "description": "ISBN-13 identifiers.",
+        "items": {
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "type": "array"
+      },
+      "language": {
+        "description": "3-letter ISO language code (e.g., \"eng\"). Absent when not recorded.",
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "lc_classifications": {
+        "description": "Library of Congress call numbers (e.g., \"TL685.7 .M366 2008\") — shelving classifications describing the subject, not identifiers. Not usable as a lookup value anywhere.",
+        "items": {
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "type": "array"
+      },
+      "lccn": {
+        "description": "Library of Congress Control Numbers (e.g., \"2008478952\") — lookupable identifiers; each one resolves this edition back through this tool with id_type \"lccn\".",
+        "items": {
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "type": "array"
+      },
+      "oclc": {
+        "description": "OCLC/WorldCat numbers.",
+        "items": {
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "type": "array"
+      },
+      "page_count": {
+        "description": "Page count. Absent when not recorded.",
+        "type": "number"
+      },
+      "publish_date": {
+        "description": "Publication date string. Absent when not recorded.",
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "publishers": {
+        "description": "Publisher names.",
+        "items": {
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "type": "array"
+      },
+      "title": {
+        "description": "Edition title.",
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "work_id": {
+        "description": "Parent Work ID (OL…W). Use openlibrary_get_work for work-level metadata.",
+        "type": "string"
+      }
+    },
+    "required": [
+      "edition_id",
+      "title",
+      "authors",
+      "publishers",
+      "isbn_10",
+      "isbn_13",
+      "oclc",
+      "lccn",
+      "lc_classifications",
+      "cover_ids"
+    ],
+    "type": "object"
+  },
+  "type": "array"
+}

removedOutput schema / properties / isbn_10

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "ISBN-10 identifiers.",
-  "items": {
-    "type": "string"
-  },
-  "type": "array"
-}

removedOutput schema / properties / isbn_13

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "ISBN-13 identifiers.",
-  "items": {
-    "type": "string"
-  },
-  "type": "array"
-}

removedOutput schema / properties / language

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "3-letter ISO language code (e.g., \"eng\"). Absent when not recorded.",
-  "type": "string"
-}

removedOutput schema / properties / lc_classifications

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "Library of Congress call numbers (e.g., \"TL685.7 .M366 2008\") — shelving classifications describing the subject, not identifiers. Not usable as a lookup value anywhere.",
-  "items": {
-    "type": "string"
-  },
-  "type": "array"
-}

removedOutput schema / properties / lccn

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "Library of Congress Control Numbers (e.g., \"2008478952\") — lookupable identifiers; each one resolves this edition back through this tool with id_type \"lccn\".",
-  "items": {
-    "type": "string"
-  },
-  "type": "array"
-}

removedOutput schema / properties / oclc

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "OCLC/WorldCat numbers.",
-  "items": {
-    "type": "string"
-  },
-  "type": "array"
-}

removedOutput schema / properties / page_count

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "Page count. Absent when not recorded.",
-  "type": "number"
-}

removedOutput schema / properties / publish_date

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "Publication date string. Absent when not recorded.",
-  "type": "string"
-}

removedOutput schema / properties / publishers

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "Publisher names.",
-  "items": {
-    "type": "string"
-  },
-  "type": "array"
-}

removedOutput schema / properties / title

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "Edition title.",
-  "type": "string"
-}

addedOutput schema / properties / unresolved

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Identifiers that produced no edition. Empty when every identifier resolved; never overlaps editions.",
+  "items": {
+    "additionalProperties": false,
+    "description": "An identifier that produced no edition.",
+    "properties": {
+      "identifier": {
+        "description": "The identifier as supplied, echoed so it can be matched to the request.",
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "reason": {
+        "description": "\"invalid_identifier\" = the value cannot be this id_type and was never sent upstream. \"not_found\" = well-formed, but Open Library holds no edition under it.",
+        "enum": [
+          "not_found",
+          "invalid_identifier"
+        ],
+        "type": "string"
+      }
+    },
+    "required": [
+      "identifier",
+      "reason"
+    ],
+    "type": "object"
+  },
+  "type": "array"
+}

removedOutput schema / properties / work_id

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "Parent Work ID (OL…W). Use openlibrary_get_work for work-level metadata.",
-  "type": "string"
-}

changedOutput schema / required

Previous value: -[
-  "edition_id",
-  "title",
-  "authors",
-  "publishers",
-  "isbn_10",
-  "isbn_13",
-  "oclc",
-  "lccn",
-  "lc_classifications",
-  "cover_ids"
-]New value: +[
+  "editions",
+  "unresolved"
+]

Changed6 schema fields changedJul 25, 2026

changedOutput schema / properties / authors / description

Previous value: -"Authors of this edition."New value: +"Authors credited for this edition. Empty only when neither the edition nor its parent work records an author."

addedOutput schema / properties / authors / items / properties / source

Added value: +{
+  "description": "\"edition\" = the attribution is recorded on this edition record. \"work\" = the edition records no authors of its own and this credit comes from the parent work, which covers every edition of the same text.",
+  "enum": [
+    "edition",
+    "work"
+  ],
+  "type": "string"
+}

changedOutput schema / properties / authors / items / required

Previous value: -[
-  "name"
-]New value: +[
+  "name",
+  "source"
+]

addedOutput schema / properties / lc_classifications

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Library of Congress call numbers (e.g., \"TL685.7 .M366 2008\") — shelving classifications describing the subject, not identifiers. Not usable as a lookup value anywhere.",
+  "items": {
+    "type": "string"
+  },
+  "type": "array"
+}

changedOutput schema / properties / lccn / description

Previous value: -"Library of Congress Control Numbers."New value: +"Library of Congress Control Numbers (e.g., \"2008478952\") — lookupable identifiers; each one resolves this edition back through this tool with id_type \"lccn\"."

changedOutput schema / required

Previous value: -[
-  "edition_id",
-  "title",
-  "authors",
-  "publishers",
-  "isbn_10",
-  "isbn_13",
-  "oclc",
-  "lccn",
-  "cover_ids"
-]New value: +[
+  "edition_id",
+  "title",
+  "authors",
+  "publishers",
+  "isbn_10",
+  "isbn_13",
+  "oclc",
+  "lccn",
+  "lc_classifications",
+  "cover_ids"
+]

First observedMay 25, 2026

TDQS

A4.5/5.0

Behavior5/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

The description goes well beyond the readOnlyHint, openWorldHint, and idempotentHint annotations by disclosing partial success behavior, the unresolved list with reasons, the failure condition ('fails only when nothing resolved'), and the author-recovery fallback from the parent work. This is rich, accurate behavioral context that an agent needs to interpret results correctly.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness5/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

The description is dense but every sentence earns its place: purpose, identifier-type rule, batching guidance, return contents, author fallback, and partial-success behavior. It is front-loaded with the core action and avoids filler or repetition.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

Given the two parameters, the annotations, and the presence of an output schema, the description covers everything an agent needs: input constraints, batching limits, response ordering, partial success, failure semantics, and author fallback. Nothing critical is missing for correct invocation and interpretation.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema description coverage is 100%, so the schema already documents both parameters thoroughly. The description reinforces key semantics like id_type 'isbn' covering both ISBN-10 and ISBN-13 and the 50-item cap, but it does not add substantial meaning beyond the schema. Baseline 3 is appropriate.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description opens with a specific verb and resource: 'Resolve one or more editions by identifier,' and enumerates the exact identifier types accepted. This clearly distinguishes it from sibling tools like openlibrary_get_work or openlibrary_get_editions, which target different resources or operations. The scope is unambiguous.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines4/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

The description gives clear context for when to use the tool: when you have identifiers such as ISBNs or OLIDs and want full edition metadata in a batched call. It notes that a bibliography or shelf export costs one call rather than one per book, which implies batch usage. It does not explicitly name alternatives or state when not to use it, so it falls just short of a 5.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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