openlibrary-mcp-server

Search Authors

openlibrary_search_authors

Read-only

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).

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description
`limit`	No	Max results to return; values above 100 apply 100 when limit clamping is enabled.
`query`	Yes	Author name search query. Partial names and alternate names work.
`offset`	No	Zero-based offset for pagination.

Output Schema

Name	Required	Description
`error`	No	Present when the call failed. Absent on success.
`total`	No	Total matching authors across all pages.
`notice`	No	Guidance for an empty page or a requested limit above the page ceiling. Absent when neither applies.
`offset`	No	Zero-based offset of the first returned result — echoes the requested offset, so an empty page still records the offset that produced it.
`authors`	No	Matching authors, up to limit.
`totalCount`	No	Total matching authors across all pages — the upstream match count, reported even when this page is empty because offset ran past the end.

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed3 schema fields changedOct 26, 2026

changedInput schema / properties / limit / description

Previous value: -"Max results to return."New value: +"Max results to return; values above 100 apply 100 when limit clamping is enabled."

changedInput schema / properties / limit / maximum

Previous value: -100New value: +9007199254740991

changedOutput schema / properties / notice / description

Previous value: -"Guidance when the page is empty (how to vary a name that matched nothing, or which offset to retry when offset ran past the end) or when the text output capped a per-author list. Absent when neither applies."New value: +"Guidance for an empty page or a requested limit above the page ceiling. Absent when neither applies."

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": [
+      "total",
+      "offset",
+      "authors"
+    ]
+  },
+  {
+    "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.",
+          "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: -[
-  "total",
-  "offset",
-  "authors"
-]

Changed4 schema fields changedJul 26, 2026

changedOutput schema / properties / notice / description

Previous value: -"Recovery guidance when no authors match — echoes the query and suggests alternatives. Absent when results are found."New value: +"Guidance when the page is empty (how to vary a name that matched nothing, or which offset to retry when offset ran past the end) or when the text output capped a per-author list. Absent when neither applies."

addedOutput schema / properties / offset

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Zero-based offset of the first returned result — echoes the requested offset, so an empty page still records the offset that produced it.",
+  "type": "number"
+}

changedOutput schema / properties / totalCount / description

Previous value: -"Total matching authors across all pages. Absent when results are empty."New value: +"Total matching authors across all pages — the upstream match count, reported even when this page is empty because offset ran past the end."

changedOutput schema / required

Previous value: -[
-  "total",
-  "authors"
-]New value: +[
+  "total",
+  "offset",
+  "authors"
+]

Changed1 schema field changedJun 13, 2026

addedOutput schema / properties / totalCount

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Total matching authors across all pages. Absent when results are empty.",
+  "type": "number"
+}

Changed2 schema fields changedMay 30, 2026

removedOutput schema / properties / message

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "Recovery hint when results are empty. Absent when results are found.",
-  "type": "string"
-}

addedOutput schema / properties / notice

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Recovery guidance when no authors match — echoes the query and suggests alternatives. Absent when results are found.",
+  "type": "string"
+}

First observedMay 25, 2026

TDQS

A4.2/5.0

Behavior4/5

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

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint=true and openWorldHint=true, so the safety profile is covered; the description adds the result shape (IDs, names, birth/death dates, top works, subject associations) and the recommended next call. It does not mention pagination behavior or the limit-clamping nuance, which matters for a paginated search.

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?

Three tight sentences: purpose first, result shape second, next-step guidance third. No filler, and the most decision-relevant information is front-loaded.

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

Completeness4/5

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

With an output schema present and 100% schema coverage plus read-only annotations, the description is nearly self-sufficient. The only gap is that pagination/limit semantics are left entirely to the schema, which is acceptable but not fully spelled out in the narrative.

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 query, limit, and offset are all fully documented in the schema, including the limit-clamping caveat. The description adds nothing parameter-specific, so the baseline 3 applies.

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?

States a specific verb+resource+scope ('Search Open Library authors by name') and immediately differentiates itself from the sibling getters by naming openlibrary_get_author and openlibrary_get_author_works as the follow-on tools. An agent can distinguish it from openlibrary_search_books and openlibrary_search_inside without opening the schema.

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?

Explains what to do with the result ('Use author IDs for openlibrary_get_author ... or openlibrary_get_author_works'), which is genuine routing guidance to siblings. It stops short of stating when *not* to use this tool (e.g., direct lookup when an ID is already known), so it falls short of the explicit when/when-not bar.

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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