heritage-research-mcp

ia_search

Search Internet Archive item metadata by title, author, subject, or description, then filter results by media type, year, collection, and sort order.

Instructions

Search Internet Archive item metadata (title, author, subject, description). Not the text inside books.

Use ia_fulltext_search to find a phrase inside scanned books. The query accepts Lucene syntax, for example creator:(mosby) AND subject:"Virginia".

Args: query: The search. mediatype: texts, image, audio, movies, software, data, etc. year_from: Earliest publication year. year_to: Latest publication year. collection: Restrict to a collection identifier, e.g. americana. rows: Results per page (1 to 100). page: Page number from 1. sort: For example "downloads desc" or "date asc". kind: text, image, map, audio or video, translated into Internet Archive terms (maps are matched on the "maps" subject and the map collections, so results are noisy).

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`kind`	No
`page`	No
`rows`	No
`sort`	No
`query`	Yes
`year_to`	No
`mediatype`	No
`year_from`	No
`collection`	No

Output Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
No arguments

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

First observedv0.1.3Oct 6, 2026

TDQS

A4.4/5.0

Behavior3/5

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

No annotations are provided, so the description carries the burden. It usefully adds Lucene query syntax and a noise caveat for 'kind: map', but does not disclose pagination limits beyond rows/page, auth requirements, rate limits, or return behavior. Output schema exists, so return values are partly covered elsewhere.

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?

Purpose and the sibling boundary are front-loaded in the first two paragraphs, and the Args list is compact. Slightly verbose in repeating the query parameter name before 'The search', but every line earns its place.

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 9-param search tool with an output schema, the description covers purpose, the alternative, and every parameter's semantics. It stops short of documenting defaults (page=1, rows=10) or pagination termination behavior, which are minor residual gaps.

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

Parameters5/5

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

Schema description coverage is 0%, so the description must compensate, and it does: every one of the 9 parameters is documented with meaning and often format (mediatype values, rows 1-100, sort examples, kind mapping). This is exactly what the low-coverage schema needs.

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 (Search) plus resource (Internet Archive item metadata) and enumerates the searchable fields (title, author, subject, description). It also carves out the boundary explicitly with 'Not the text inside books,' which cleanly separates it from ia_fulltext_search.

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?

Names the alternative tool (ia_fulltext_search) and the exact condition that selects it ('find a phrase inside scanned books'). It further warns about the noisy 'maps' kind, giving the agent a real usage caveat rather than just a description.

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