Skip to main content
Glama

Library of Alexandria

by io.github.ltvspot
OverviewDiscussionsAdmin

Get the study guide

get_themes
Read-onlyIdempotent

Get the study guide of one title: its main themes, symbols, setting and recurring motifs, each in a few sentences, with the address of the full study guide. A title or language whose guide is not open yet says that it opens here soon.

Input Schema

NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
idYesTitle id as found in a search result, for example top3500-00013 or forbidden-00004. A plain number is read as a number of the main list.
languageNoLanguage of the person asking, as a code: en English, es Spanish, de German, nl Dutch, fr French, it Italian, pt-BR Portuguese, ru Russian, zh-CN Chinese, zh-TW Chinese in traditional characters, ja Japanese, ko Korean, pl Polish, ar Arabic, hi Hindi, id Indonesian, ca Catalan. Titles, subtitles, authors and page addresses come back in this language. Default: the language of the query, else English.

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

  1. Changed2 schema fields changed
    • changedInput schema / properties / language / description
      Previous value: -"Language of the person asking, as a code: en English, es Spanish, de German, nl Dutch, fr French, it Italian, pt-BR Portuguese, ru Russian, zh-CN Chinese, zh-TW Chinese in traditional characters, ja Japanese, ko Korean, pl Polish, ar Arabic, hi Hindi, id Indonesian. Titles, subtitles, authors and page addresses come back in this language. Default: the language of the query, else English."New value: +"Language of the person asking, as a code: en English, es Spanish, de German, nl Dutch, fr French, it Italian, pt-BR Portuguese, ru Russian, zh-CN Chinese, zh-TW Chinese in traditional characters, ja Japanese, ko Korean, pl Polish, ar Arabic, hi Hindi, id Indonesian, ca Catalan. Titles, subtitles, authors and page addresses come back in this language. Default: the language of the query, else English."
    • changedInput schema / properties / language / enum
      Previous value: -[
-  "en",
-  "es",
-  "de",
-  "nl",
-  "fr",
-  "it",
-  "pt-BR",
-  "ru",
-  "zh-CN",
-  "zh-TW",
-  "ja",
-  "ko",
-  "pl",
-  "ar",
-  "hi",
-  "id"
-]New value: +[
+  "en",
+  "es",
+  "de",
+  "nl",
+  "fr",
+  "it",
+  "pt-BR",
+  "ru",
+  "zh-CN",
+  "zh-TW",
+  "ja",
+  "ko",
+  "pl",
+  "ar",
+  "hi",
+  "id",
+  "ca"
+]
  2. Added

TDQS

A3.7/5.0
Behavior4/5

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

Annotations already cover the safety profile (readOnly, idempotent, non-destructive, closed-world), so the description only needs to add context. It does: it discloses the output granularity ('each in a few sentences'), that a full-guide address is included, and the edge-case behavior for titles/languages whose guide is not yet open.

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?

Two sentences, front-loaded with the verb and return contents, no filler. The second sentence's phrasing ('says that it opens here soon') is slightly informal but still earns its place by covering the unavailable-guide case.

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 no output schema, the description carries the burden of describing return values, and it does so specifically (themes, symbols, setting, motifs, guide address, per-item brevity). The unopened-guide case is also handled, leaving little an agent would need to guess.

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%, with the id format and the language enum/default fully documented in the schema, so the baseline is 3. The description only reinforces the single-title scope ('of one title') and does not add format or fallback detail beyond the schema.

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

Purpose4/5

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

States a specific verb and resource ('Get the study guide of one title') and enumerates the exact contents returned: themes, symbols, setting, recurring motifs, plus the address of the full guide. This content list implicitly separates it from siblings like get_summary or get_book_outline, though none of those alternatives are named explicitly.

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

Usage Guidelines3/5

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

Usage is only implied: an agent can infer this is the tool for thematic analysis of a single title, and the note about guides 'not open yet' tells it what happens for unavailable titles. There is no explicit guidance on when to prefer this over get_summary, get_book_outline, or get_chapter_summary.

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

All Library of Alexandria toolsInspect
Try in Browser
One endpoint for every MCP toolRayrun runs every MCP server behind one URL and holds the credentials. Each call is decided per client, tool, and argument, then recorded.ray.runAd

Glama MCP Gateway

Add one secure layer between your agents and this server.

Resources