openlibrary-mcp-server

Search Inside Books

openlibrary_search_inside

Read-only

Search the full text of books scanned by the Internet Archive — the "which book contains this passage?" lookup that the metadata tools cannot answer. Quote a phrase for an exact-phrase match; bare terms match anywhere in the text. Each result is an Internet Archive item with the matching passages as snippets, plus a relevance score. The full-text index is far slower than the metadata endpoints, and a search usually takes 10–30 seconds. Use it when the passage is the question, and use openlibrary_search_books to search by title, author, or subject. Results key on Internet Archive items rather than Open Library works: chain the returned ia_identifier to archive.org, or match it against the ia_identifiers on openlibrary_search_books results to reach the catalogue record.

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description
`limit`	No	Max matching items to return. Each carries its own snippets, so higher values grow the response quickly — prefer 10–20.
`query`	Yes	Text to find inside scanned books. Wrap in double quotes for an exact-phrase match (e.g., "the spice must flow"); unquoted terms match independently and return far broader results.
`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 Internet Archive items 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 match.
`matches`	No	Matching items, up to limit, ordered by relevance.
`totalCount`	No	Total matching items 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 / maximum

Previous value: -100New value: +9007199254740991

changedOutput schema / properties / matches / items / properties / snippets / description

Previous value: -"Passages containing the match, with the upstream highlight markers removed. The text output caps how many are rendered per item; this array is complete."New value: +"Every passage containing the match, with the upstream highlight markers removed."

changedOutput schema / properties / notice / description

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

Changed2 schema fields changedSep 24, 2026

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

Previous value: -"Machine-readable failure mode."New value: +"Machine-readable failure mode. Declared by this tool: `upstream_unavailable`: Open Library's full-text search answered HTTP 200 without a result set — no hits object carrying a total. Other values are possible when a failure originates below the handler."

addedOutput schema / properties / error / properties / data / properties / reason / examples
```
Added value: +[
+  "upstream_unavailable"
+]
```

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",
+      "matches"
+    ]
+  },
+  {
+    "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",
-  "matches"
-]

AddedJul 26, 2026

TDQS

A4.8/5.0

Behavior5/5

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

Annotations only cover readOnly/openWorld; the description adds the operationally critical 10–30 second latency warning and explains that results key on Internet Archive items rather than Open Library works. It also describes the result payload (IA item + passage snippets + relevance score), which is far beyond what annotations provide.

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

Conciseness4/5

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

Front-loaded with the core purpose and the alternative, and every sentence carries information (latency, result shape, chaining). It runs slightly long at five sentences with some overlap between the description and the parameter docs, but there is no filler.

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?

Covers purpose, timing expectations, result format, pagination-adjacent behavior, and how to bridge IA identifiers to catalogue records. With an output schema present, return-value detail is not required, yet the agent still knows how to act on results.

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

Parameters4/5

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

Schema coverage is 100%, so the baseline is 3, and the description repeats the quoting semantics already documented in the query param. It earns extra credit for advising that each item carries its own snippets so limit should stay modest, which reinforces the schema's intent.

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 and resource (full-text search of Internet Archive scanned books) and explicitly frames it as the "which book contains this passage?" lookup that metadata tools cannot answer. It is immediately distinguishable from openlibrary_search_books and the get_* siblings.

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

Usage Guidelines5/5

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

Explicit routing rule: "Use it when the passage is the question, and use openlibrary_search_books to search by title, author, or subject." It also gives an in-tool heuristic (quote for exact phrase, bare terms match anywhere).

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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