openlibrary-mcp-server

Get Edition

openlibrary_get_edition

Read-onlyIdempotent

Resolve one or more editions by identifier: ISBN-10, ISBN-13, OCLC, LCCN, or Open Library Edition ID (OL…M). Every identifier in a call shares one id_type — pass id_type "isbn" for both ISBN-10 and ISBN-13. Up to 50 identifiers resolve in a single upstream request, so a bibliography or shelf export costs one call rather than one per book; a large batch is a large response, so ask for what you need. Returns full edition metadata including authors, publisher, language, all identifier types, and the parent work ID, with author names inline and no secondary lookup; when the edition record itself lists no authors, they are recovered from the parent work and marked as such. Partial success is the norm — identifiers that resolve come back in editions, the rest are listed in unresolved with a reason, and the call fails only when nothing resolved.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`id_type`	Yes	Identifier type shared by every entry in identifiers. "isbn" handles both ISBN-10 and ISBN-13. "olid" is the native Open Library edition ID (OL…M). Mixing types within one call is not supported — issue one call per type.
`identifiers`	Yes	Identifiers to resolve, 1–50, all of the type named by id_type. Resolved editions come back in request order.

Output Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description
`error`	No	Present when the call failed. Absent on success.
`editions`	No	Editions that resolved, in request order. Shorter than identifiers when any entry missed.
`unresolved`	No	Identifiers that produced no edition. Empty when every identifier resolved; never overlaps editions.

Schema Changelog

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

Changed6 schema fields changedAug 25, 2026

changedInput schema / $schema

Previous value: -"http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"New value: +"https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema"

addedInput schema / additionalProperties
```
Added value: +false
```

changedOutput schema / $schema

Previous value: -"http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"New value: +"https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema"

addedOutput schema / anyOf

Added value: +[
+  {
+    "not": {
+      "required": [
+        "error"
+      ]
+    },
+    "required": [
+      "editions",
+      "unresolved"
+    ]
+  },
+  {
+    "required": [
+      "error"
+    ]
+  }
+]

addedOutput schema / properties / error

Added value: +{
+  "additionalProperties": {},
+  "description": "Present when the call failed. Absent on success.",
+  "properties": {
+    "code": {
+      "description": "JSON-RPC error code for this failure.",
+      "maximum": 9007199254740991,
+      "minimum": -9007199254740991,
+      "type": "integer"
+    },
+    "data": {
+      "additionalProperties": {},
+      "properties": {
+        "reason": {
+          "description": "Machine-readable failure mode. Declared by this tool: `not_found`: No identifier in the batch resolved to an edition. `invalid_identifier`: Every identifier in the batch is malformed for the specified id_type. Other values are possible when a failure originates below the handler.",
+          "examples": [
+            "not_found",
+            "invalid_identifier"
+          ],
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "recovery": {
+          "additionalProperties": {},
+          "description": "Actionable next step for the caller.",
+          "properties": {
+            "hint": {
+              "type": "string"
+            }
+          },
+          "required": [
+            "hint"
+          ],
+          "type": "object"
+        },
+        "retryable": {
+          "description": "Whether retrying may succeed.",
+          "type": "boolean"
+        }
+      },
+      "type": "object"
+    },
+    "message": {
+      "description": "Human-readable description of what went wrong.",
+      "type": "string"
+    }
+  },
+  "required": [
+    "code",
+    "message"
+  ],
+  "type": "object"
+}

removedOutput schema / required

Removed value: -[
-  "editions",
-  "unresolved"
-]

Changed23 schema fields changedJul 26, 2026

changedInput schema / properties / id_type / description

Previous value: -"Identifier type. \"isbn\" handles both ISBN-10 and ISBN-13. \"olid\" is the native Open Library edition ID (OL…M)."New value: +"Identifier type shared by every entry in identifiers. \"isbn\" handles both ISBN-10 and ISBN-13. \"olid\" is the native Open Library edition ID (OL…M). Mixing types within one call is not supported — issue one call per type."

removedInput schema / properties / identifier

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "The identifier value. For ISBN: 10 or 13 digits, hyphens stripped. For OCLC: numeric string. For LCCN: string as-is. For OLID: Open Library edition ID (e.g., OL7353617M).",
-  "type": "string"
-}

addedInput schema / properties / identifiers

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Identifiers to resolve, 1–50, all of the type named by id_type. Resolved editions come back in request order.",
+  "items": {
+    "description": "One identifier value. For ISBN: 10 or 13 digits, hyphens optional. For OCLC: numeric string. For LCCN: string as-is. For OLID: Open Library edition ID (e.g., OL7353617M).",
+    "type": "string"
+  },
+  "maxItems": 50,
+  "minItems": 1,
+  "type": "array"
+}

changedInput schema / required

Previous value: -[
-  "identifier",
-  "id_type"
-]New value: +[
+  "identifiers",
+  "id_type"
+]

removedOutput schema / properties / authors

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "Authors credited for this edition. Empty only when neither the edition nor its parent work records an author.",
-  "items": {
-    "additionalProperties": false,
-    "description": "An author contributor for this edition.",
-    "properties": {
-      "author_id": {
-        "description": "Open Library Author ID (OL…A). Use openlibrary_get_author for bio and details.",
-        "type": "string"
-      },
-      "name": {
-        "description": "Author display name.",
-        "type": "string"
-      },
-      "source": {
-        "description": "\"edition\" = the attribution is recorded on this edition record. \"work\" = the edition records no authors of its own and this credit comes from the parent work, which covers every edition of the same text.",
-        "enum": [
-          "edition",
-          "work"
-        ],
-        "type": "string"
-      }
-    },
-    "required": [
-      "name",
-      "source"
-    ],
-    "type": "object"
-  },
-  "type": "array"
-}

removedOutput schema / properties / cover_ids

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "Numeric cover IDs for openlibrary_get_cover_url.",
-  "items": {
-    "type": "number"
-  },
-  "type": "array"
-}

removedOutput schema / properties / description

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "Edition description. Absent when not provided.",
-  "type": "string"
-}

removedOutput schema / properties / ebook_url

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "Internet Archive URL for reading/borrowing. Present when an IA item exists.",
-  "type": "string"
-}

removedOutput schema / properties / edition_id

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "Open Library Edition ID (OL…M).",
-  "type": "string"
-}

addedOutput schema / properties / editions

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Editions that resolved, in request order. Shorter than identifiers when any entry missed.",
+  "items": {
+    "additionalProperties": false,
+    "description": "A resolved edition record.",
+    "properties": {
+      "authors": {
+        "description": "Authors credited for this edition. Empty only when neither the edition nor its parent work records an author.",
+        "items": {
+          "additionalProperties": false,
+          "description": "An author contributor for this edition.",
+          "properties": {
+            "author_id": {
+              "description": "Open Library Author ID (OL…A). Use openlibrary_get_author for bio and details.",
+              "type": "string"
+            },
+            "name": {
+              "description": "Author display name.",
+              "type": "string"
+            },
+            "source": {
+              "description": "\"edition\" = the attribution is recorded on this edition record. \"work\" = the edition records no authors of its own and this credit comes from the parent work, which covers every edition of the same text.",
+              "enum": [
+                "edition",
+                "work"
+              ],
+              "type": "string"
+            }
+          },
+          "required": [
+            "name",
+            "source"
+          ],
+          "type": "object"
+        },
+        "type": "array"
+      },
+      "cover_ids": {
+        "description": "Numeric cover IDs for openlibrary_get_cover_url.",
+        "items": {
+          "type": "number"
+        },
+        "type": "array"
+      },
+      "description": {
+        "description": "Edition description. Absent when not provided.",
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "ebook_url": {
+        "description": "Internet Archive URL for reading/borrowing. Present when an IA item exists.",
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "edition_id": {
+        "description": "Open Library Edition ID (OL…M).",
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "isbn_10": {
+        "description": "ISBN-10 identifiers.",
+        "items": {
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "type": "array"
+      },
+      "isbn_13": {
+        "description": "ISBN-13 identifiers.",
+        "items": {
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "type": "array"
+      },
+      "language": {
+        "description": "3-letter ISO language code (e.g., \"eng\"). Absent when not recorded.",
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "lc_classifications": {
+        "description": "Library of Congress call numbers (e.g., \"TL685.7 .M366 2008\") — shelving classifications describing the subject, not identifiers. Not usable as a lookup value anywhere.",
+        "items": {
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "type": "array"
+      },
+      "lccn": {
+        "description": "Library of Congress Control Numbers (e.g., \"2008478952\") — lookupable identifiers; each one resolves this edition back through this tool with id_type \"lccn\".",
+        "items": {
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "type": "array"
+      },
+      "oclc": {
+        "description": "OCLC/WorldCat numbers.",
+        "items": {
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "type": "array"
+      },
+      "page_count": {
+        "description": "Page count. Absent when not recorded.",
+        "type": "number"
+      },
+      "publish_date": {
+        "description": "Publication date string. Absent when not recorded.",
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "publishers": {
+        "description": "Publisher names.",
+        "items": {
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "type": "array"
+      },
+      "title": {
+        "description": "Edition title.",
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "work_id": {
+        "description": "Parent Work ID (OL…W). Use openlibrary_get_work for work-level metadata.",
+        "type": "string"
+      }
+    },
+    "required": [
+      "edition_id",
+      "title",
+      "authors",
+      "publishers",
+      "isbn_10",
+      "isbn_13",
+      "oclc",
+      "lccn",
+      "lc_classifications",
+      "cover_ids"
+    ],
+    "type": "object"
+  },
+  "type": "array"
+}

removedOutput schema / properties / isbn_10

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "ISBN-10 identifiers.",
-  "items": {
-    "type": "string"
-  },
-  "type": "array"
-}

removedOutput schema / properties / isbn_13

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "ISBN-13 identifiers.",
-  "items": {
-    "type": "string"
-  },
-  "type": "array"
-}

removedOutput schema / properties / language

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "3-letter ISO language code (e.g., \"eng\"). Absent when not recorded.",
-  "type": "string"
-}

removedOutput schema / properties / lc_classifications

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "Library of Congress call numbers (e.g., \"TL685.7 .M366 2008\") — shelving classifications describing the subject, not identifiers. Not usable as a lookup value anywhere.",
-  "items": {
-    "type": "string"
-  },
-  "type": "array"
-}

removedOutput schema / properties / lccn

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "Library of Congress Control Numbers (e.g., \"2008478952\") — lookupable identifiers; each one resolves this edition back through this tool with id_type \"lccn\".",
-  "items": {
-    "type": "string"
-  },
-  "type": "array"
-}

removedOutput schema / properties / oclc

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "OCLC/WorldCat numbers.",
-  "items": {
-    "type": "string"
-  },
-  "type": "array"
-}

removedOutput schema / properties / page_count

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "Page count. Absent when not recorded.",
-  "type": "number"
-}

removedOutput schema / properties / publish_date

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "Publication date string. Absent when not recorded.",
-  "type": "string"
-}

removedOutput schema / properties / publishers

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "Publisher names.",
-  "items": {
-    "type": "string"
-  },
-  "type": "array"
-}

removedOutput schema / properties / title

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "Edition title.",
-  "type": "string"
-}

addedOutput schema / properties / unresolved

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Identifiers that produced no edition. Empty when every identifier resolved; never overlaps editions.",
+  "items": {
+    "additionalProperties": false,
+    "description": "An identifier that produced no edition.",
+    "properties": {
+      "identifier": {
+        "description": "The identifier as supplied, echoed so it can be matched to the request.",
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "reason": {
+        "description": "\"invalid_identifier\" = the value cannot be this id_type and was never sent upstream. \"not_found\" = well-formed, but Open Library holds no edition under it.",
+        "enum": [
+          "not_found",
+          "invalid_identifier"
+        ],
+        "type": "string"
+      }
+    },
+    "required": [
+      "identifier",
+      "reason"
+    ],
+    "type": "object"
+  },
+  "type": "array"
+}

removedOutput schema / properties / work_id

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "Parent Work ID (OL…W). Use openlibrary_get_work for work-level metadata.",
-  "type": "string"
-}

changedOutput schema / required

Previous value: -[
-  "edition_id",
-  "title",
-  "authors",
-  "publishers",
-  "isbn_10",
-  "isbn_13",
-  "oclc",
-  "lccn",
-  "lc_classifications",
-  "cover_ids"
-]New value: +[
+  "editions",
+  "unresolved"
+]

Changed6 schema fields changedJul 25, 2026

changedOutput schema / properties / authors / description

Previous value: -"Authors of this edition."New value: +"Authors credited for this edition. Empty only when neither the edition nor its parent work records an author."

addedOutput schema / properties / authors / items / properties / source

Added value: +{
+  "description": "\"edition\" = the attribution is recorded on this edition record. \"work\" = the edition records no authors of its own and this credit comes from the parent work, which covers every edition of the same text.",
+  "enum": [
+    "edition",
+    "work"
+  ],
+  "type": "string"
+}

changedOutput schema / properties / authors / items / required

Previous value: -[
-  "name"
-]New value: +[
+  "name",
+  "source"
+]

addedOutput schema / properties / lc_classifications

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Library of Congress call numbers (e.g., \"TL685.7 .M366 2008\") — shelving classifications describing the subject, not identifiers. Not usable as a lookup value anywhere.",
+  "items": {
+    "type": "string"
+  },
+  "type": "array"
+}

changedOutput schema / properties / lccn / description

Previous value: -"Library of Congress Control Numbers."New value: +"Library of Congress Control Numbers (e.g., \"2008478952\") — lookupable identifiers; each one resolves this edition back through this tool with id_type \"lccn\"."

changedOutput schema / required

Previous value: -[
-  "edition_id",
-  "title",
-  "authors",
-  "publishers",
-  "isbn_10",
-  "isbn_13",
-  "oclc",
-  "lccn",
-  "cover_ids"
-]New value: +[
+  "edition_id",
+  "title",
+  "authors",
+  "publishers",
+  "isbn_10",
+  "isbn_13",
+  "oclc",
+  "lccn",
+  "lc_classifications",
+  "cover_ids"
+]

First observedMay 25, 2026

TDQS

A4.4/5.0

Behavior5/5

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

The description provides substantial behavioral detail beyond the annotations (readOnlyHint, openWorldHint, idempotentHint). It discloses partial success behavior (resolved vs. unresolved lists), failure conditions (fails only when nothing resolved), author recovery from parent work with marking, inline author names with no secondary lookup, and the batch limit's impact on response size. These are valuable insights that help an agent anticipate edge cases and manage expectations, going well beyond the annotations' basic read-only/idempotent hints.

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?

The description is a single, dense paragraph that front-loads the core purpose and then expands with constraints and response behavior. Every sentence adds value, covering batching, partial success, author recovery, and failure modes without redundancy. It is informative yet concise, striking an excellent balance between completeness and brevity for an agent-facing description.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

The tool is moderately complex (2 parameters, but with batch semantics and partial success), and the description covers all necessary aspects: identifier types, id_type constraints, batch limits, response ordering, partial success handling, author recovery, and failure conditions. The presence of an output schema further reduces the need to describe return values. The description is fully complete for an agent to correctly invoke and interpret the tool, leaving no significant gaps.

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

Parameters4/5

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

The input schema already provides 100% description coverage for both parameters. The description adds extra nuance by clarifying that id_type 'isbn' covers both ISBN-10 and ISBN-13 and that identifiers must share a single type, plus noting that resolved editions come back in request order. These additions extend the schema's basic descriptions, especially the ordering behavior which is not in the schema. While the schema is thorough, the description's additional clarifications justify a score above the baseline of 3.

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 clearly states the tool's purpose: resolving one or more editions by specific identifier types (ISBN-10, ISBN-13, OCLC, LCCN, OLID). It uses a specific verb ('Resolve') and names the resource ('editions') plus the identifier scope. However, it does not explicitly differentiate itself from the sibling tool 'openlibrary_get_editions', which could cause ambiguity about which to use for fetching editions. The distinction is implied by the focus on identifier-based resolution, but not explicitly stated.

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

Usage Guidelines4/5

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

The description gives clear context on when this tool is efficient ('a bibliography or shelf export costs one call rather than one per book'), indicating batch lookups are a primary use case. It also states the constraint that all identifiers must share one id_type and warns about large responses. However, it does not mention when to prefer a sibling tool (e.g., openlibrary_get_editions) or when not to use this tool, though the absence of explicit exclusions is acceptable given the focused purpose.

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

A4.4/5.0

Disambiguation5/5

Every tool targets a distinct resource-action pair: author lookup, author works, cover resolution, edition resolution by identifier, edition listing by work, subject browsing, work lookup, and three search types (authors, books, full-text). The only near-overlap is get_edition vs get_editions, but the descriptions clearly separate identifier-based resolution from listing editions of a work, and cross-references reinforce the distinction.

Naming Consistency5/5

All tools follow a consistent snake_case verb_noun pattern: get_* for direct retrieval and search_* for query-based lookups. The single pair get_edition/get_editions is a natural pluralization, not an inconsistency. Naming is predictable and intuitive throughout.

Tool Count5/5

Ten tools is an ideal size for a read-heavy library API. Each tool serves a distinct purpose (author, work, edition, subject, cover, three search modes) without redundancy or bloat. The surface feels deliberately scoped and not overwhelming.

Completeness5/5

The set covers the full read surface of Open Library: authors (get/search), works (get/search), editions (get by ID, list by work), subjects, covers, and full-text search. There are no obvious missing operations—all core entities and lookup paths are represented, and recoveries for missing data (e.g., author names) are built into descriptions.

Get Edition

Input Schema

Output Schema

Schema Changelog

TDQS

Glama MCP Gateway

TDQS

Resources