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Northwestern University Libraries Digital Collections API

by io.github.nulib

View Similar Works

view-similar-works
Read-onlyIdempotent

View results from the similarity-search tool in an interactive viewer.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
pageNoThe page of search results to return
work_idYesID of a work to find similar items for.
max_resultsNoThe maximum number of search results to return per page
public_onlyNoOnly include publicly available works in search results

Output Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
iiifContentUrlYesA URL to a IIIF manifest or collection

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections. Dates show when Glama detected each change.

  1. Changed2 schema fields changed
    • changedInput schema / $schema
      Previous value: -"http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"New value: +"https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema"
    • changedOutput schema / (root)
      Previous value: -nullNew value: +{
+  "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
+  "additionalProperties": false,
+  "properties": {
+    "iiifContentUrl": {
+      "description": "A URL to a IIIF manifest or collection",
+      "format": "uri",
+      "type": "string"
+    }
+  },
+  "required": [
+    "iiifContentUrl"
+  ],
+  "type": "object"
+}
  2. First observed

TDQS

A3.6/5.0
Behavior3/5

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

Annotations already establish read-only, idempotent, non-destructive behavior. The description adds the 'interactive viewer' framing, which implies a display surface rather than a raw data return. It does not add much beyond that, but it does not contradict the annotations.

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?

One short sentence with no filler, and the core action ('View results') is front-loaded. The description is appropriately sized for a tool whose safety profile and return shape are already captured by annotations and output schema.

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 viewer with an output schema and a fully documented input schema, the description is mostly complete. What is missing is explicit differentiation from view-search-results, which could prevent an agent from choosing the right tool based on the description alone.

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 fully documents page, work_id, max_results, and public_only. The description adds only that the results come from similarity-search, giving no extra parameter-level meaning beyond the schema baseline.

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 uses a specific verb ('View') and names a concrete resource: results from the similarity-search tool, delivered in an interactive viewer. It clearly distinguishes this from the computation tool similarity-search, though it does not explicitly differentiate from the similarly named sibling view-search-results, so it stops short of a 5.

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?

The phrase 'results from the similarity-search tool' gives an implied usage context: call this after or for similarity-search results. However, it provides no explicit when-not-to-use guidance or comparison with view-search-results, leaving the agent to infer the routing.

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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TDQS

B3.4/5.0
Disambiguation4/5

Most tools have clear boundaries: search and similarity-search are distinct query modes, and view-* tools are explicitly for interactive viewing while get-work and list-collections return metadata. However, get-work vs view-work and list-collections vs view-collection could cause mild confusion, and view-search-results refers to a 'search-works' tool that is actually named 'search'.

Naming Consistency3/5

Tool names mostly follow a lowercase hyphenated verb-object pattern like get-work, list-collections, and view-work. However, 'search' lacks an object, 'similarity-search' is formatted as a compound noun rather than a verb phrase, and the description for view-search-results references a non-existent 'search-works' tool name.

Tool Count5/5

Eight tools is a well-scoped set for a digital collections API. Each tool serves a distinct function covering search, retrieval, similarity, and interactive viewing without feeling bloated or sparse.

Completeness4/5

The tool surface covers the core read-only workflows: searching, similarity matching, retrieving work metadata, listing collections, and viewing results interactively. A minor gap is the lack of a direct get-collection metadata tool separate from list-collections, but agents can likely work around this.

Resources