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Library of Alexandria

by io.github.ltvspot
OverviewDiscussionsAdmin

Read a free chapter

read_free_chapter
Read-onlyIdempotent

Read one chapter of a title on the free shelf, in pages of at most 400 words. Chapter numbers are those of the reader's contents list; without 'chapter' the first chapter of the text is read. Every answer points to the next page. Until the text is open the answer 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.
pageNoPage of the chapter, starting at 1. Default 1. Each page has at most 400 words.
chapterNoChapter number as in the reader's contents list, starting at 1. Default: the first chapter of the text.
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. First observed

TDQS

A3.7/5.0
Behavior4/5

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

Annotations already establish that this is a safe, read-only, idempotent operation. The description adds useful behavior beyond that: pages are capped at 400 words, every answer points to the next page, and unavailable text reports that it opens here soon.

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?

The description is compact and front-loads the core action and scope. The later sentences about pagination and unavailable text are useful, though the final sentence is slightly indirect.

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?

For a read-only tool with complete schema coverage and no output schema, the description covers the essential context: what is read, page size, chapter numbering, defaults, and forward-page behavior. It does not fully describe the returned chapter payload, but the key behavioral expectations are present.

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 parameters are already well documented. The description reinforces chapter-numbering semantics and the default first chapter, but adds little detail beyond what the schema already says.

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?

The description states a specific verb and resource: 'Read one chapter of a title on the free shelf.' The 'free shelf' scope helps distinguish it from general book tools, but it does not explicitly name sibling alternatives such as get_sample or open_in_reader.

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?

It implies usage for free-shelf titles and explains the default chapter behavior, but it gives no explicit when-to-use guidance versus alternatives like get_sample, open_in_reader, or get_passage.

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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