Summary
Wraps the Open Library API so you can query book metadata by ISBN without dealing with authentication or rate limits. Exposes a single get_book tool that returns titles, authors, publication dates, descriptions, ratings, and availability status. Useful when you need quick lookups for ISBN data in your agent workflows without standing up your own Open Library integration. Hosted by Pipeworx as a streamable HTTP endpoint, so no local server required. The gateway also supports plain English queries if you'd rather ask "find me details about this ISBN" than construct the tool call yourself.
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Books MCP — wraps Open Library API (free, no auth)
Part of Pipeworx — an MCP gateway connecting AI agents to 1683+ live data sources.
Tools
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
search_books | Search for books by title, author, or keyword. Returns title, author, year, ISBN, and cover image URL. Use this to discover books before fetching full details. |
get_book | Fetch Open Library edition details for a book by ISBN-10 or ISBN-13. Returns title, publish_date, number_of_pages, subjects (up to 10), description, cover_url, and author_keys for follow-up get_author calls. |
get_author | Fetch an author's profile from Open Library by their author key (e.g., 'OL23919A'). Returns name, birth_date, death_date, biographical summary, and Wikipedia URL. |
get_book_work | Fetch the canonical Open Library "work" record (the concept of a book across all its editions), by work ID (e.g. "OL45804W"). Returns title, description, first publish date, subjects, and author keys. Use search_books to find a work_id (the W-suffixed key); use get_book for a specific edition by ISBN. (Named get_book_work to avoid colliding with Crossref get_work.) |
Quick Start
Add to your MCP client (Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, etc.):
{
"mcpServers": {
"books": {
"url": "https://gateway.pipeworx.io/books/mcp"
}
}
}
What this endpoint actually serves
tools/list at https://gateway.pipeworx.io/books/mcp returns the tools in the table
above plus the shared Pipeworx meta-tools — ask_pipeworx,
discover_tools, search_within, remember/recall and the rest of the
gateway-wide set. So the tool count you see is larger than this table: a
single-pack endpoint currently lists roughly 30 shared tools alongside the
pack's own. The connection's initialize response states its exact scope, and
is the authoritative answer for a given day.
This is deliberate, not multiplexing by accident. The meta-tools are what let a
scoped connection answer a question this pack does not cover — via
ask_pipeworx, which routes across the whole catalog — without you adding a
second MCP server. There is currently no way to mount a pack endpoint without
them; if the extra schemas cost you more context than the routing is worth,
connect to the full gateway once rather than to several pack endpoints.
Or connect to the full Pipeworx gateway to get every pack's tools listed directly, instead of just this one's:
{
"mcpServers": {
"pipeworx": {
"url": "https://gateway.pipeworx.io/mcp"
}
}
}
Both URLs reach the same gateway and the same 1683+ data sources. The
only difference is which pack's tools are listed directly; ask_pipeworx
reaches all of them from either one.
No MCP client? Call it over HTTP
curl -X POST https://gateway.pipeworx.io/v1/tools/books_search_books \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-d '{"query":"1984 George Orwell"}'
No account needed for the first calls. Inspect any tool: GET https://gateway.pipeworx.io/v1/tools/books_search_books. Find one: POST https://gateway.pipeworx.io/v1/tools/search_packs with {"query":"..."}.
Standalone (no gateway account)
This package also runs as a local stdio MCP server — no Pipeworx account, no gateway round-trip:
{
"mcpServers": {
"books": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@pipeworx/mcp-books"]
}
}
}
Or run it directly to confirm it starts:
npx -y @pipeworx/mcp-books
It speaks MCP over stdin/stdout and answers initialize/tools/list/tools/call
for only this pack's tools — none of the shared meta-tools the gateway
connection above adds. Same source, same tools, no ask_pipeworx routing.
Using with ask_pipeworx
Instead of calling tools directly, you can ask questions in plain English — this works on the pack endpoint above as well as on the full gateway:
ask_pipeworx({ question: "your question about Books data" })
The gateway picks the right tool and fills the arguments automatically.
More
License
MIT
Featured
Keeps your Mac awake while Claude Code, Codex or Cursor works. Lets it sleep when they are done.
Try free for 7 days →Block distracting apps from your iPhone permanently without a 3rd party app. Free and open source.
Block now (100% free) →Notes, actions and memory. Without a meeting bot. First month 100% off.
Download for free →belt cli automatically finds the best tools and skills for your agent. image, video, music, tts...
one prompt install →Free an open-source skills that make AI coding agents easier to understand, verify, and control.
Download for free →Connect your Claude agent to live crypto prices and trading routes via 1inch
Get the MCP →