← Back to Skills Marketplace
1439
Downloads
1
Stars
3
Active Installs
1
Versions
Install in OpenClaw
/install books
Description
CLI for AI agents to search and lookup books for their humans. Uses Open Library API. No auth required.
README (SKILL.md)
Book Lookup
CLI for AI agents to search and lookup books for their humans. "What's that fantasy series about the magic university?" — now your agent can answer.
Uses Open Library API. No account or API key needed.
Usage
"Search for books called The Name of the Wind"
"Find books by Patrick Rothfuss"
"Tell me about work ID OL27448W"
"Who is author OL23919A?"
Commands
| Action | Command |
|---|---|
| Search | books search "query" |
| Get book details | books info \x3Cwork_id> |
| Get author info | books author \x3Cauthor_id> |
Examples
books search "the name of the wind" # Find books by title
books search "author:brandon sanderson" # Search by author
books info OL27448W # Get full details by work ID
books author OL23919A # Get author bio and works
Output
Search output:
[OL27448W] The Name of the Wind — Patrick Rothfuss, 2007, ⭐ 4.5
Info output:
📚 The Name of the Wind
Work ID: OL27448W
First Published: March 27, 2007
Subjects: Fantasy, Magic, Coming of Age
📖 Description:
[Full description text]
🖼️ Cover: https://covers.openlibrary.org/b/id/12345-L.jpg
Author output:
👤 Patrick Rothfuss
Born: June 6, 1973
Author ID: OL23919A
📖 Bio:
[Author biography]
=== Works ===
[OL27448W] The Name of the Wind, 2007
[OL16313124W] The Wise Man's Fear, 2011
Notes
- Uses Open Library API (openlibrary.org)
- No authentication required
- Work IDs look like: OL27448W
- Author IDs look like: OL23919A
- Search supports
author:,title:,subject:prefixes - Cover images available in S, M, L sizes
Agent Implementation Notes
Script location: {skill_folder}/books (wrapper to scripts/books)
When user asks about books:
- Run
./books search "title or author"to find work ID - Run
./books info \x3Cwork_id>for full details - Run
./books author \x3Cauthor_id>for author info and bibliography
Search tips:
- Use
author:nameto search specifically by author - Use
title:nameto search specifically by title - Use
subject:topicto search by genre/subject
Don't use for: E-books, audiobooks, purchasing, or reading the actual content.
Usage Guidance
This skill's purpose and declared requirements are reasonable for querying the Open Library API, but the package as provided does not include the executable wrapper scripts the SKILL.md expects. Before installing or running anything: 1) do not run commands that clone or execute code from external repos without inspecting that code; 2) request the missing scripts from the skill author or inspect the GitHub repo referenced in README (verify repository owner, check commits, review the scripts for network calls/hidden behavior); 3) if you must clone the repo, review the scripts locally for any unexpected commands (remote endpoints, data exfiltration, or use of secrets) before making them executable; 4) prefer skills that include the code being executed in the package or that have a vetted install spec. If you want, I can try to fetch and inspect the referenced GitHub repo (if you permit me to access the network) or guide you through what to check in the scripts.
Capability Analysis
Type: OpenClaw Skill
Name: books
Version: 1.0.0
The skill bundle describes a CLI tool for interacting with the Open Library API. The `SKILL.md` and `README.md` files clearly outline the purpose and usage, requiring standard binaries like `bash`, `curl`, and `jq`. The instructions for the AI agent in `SKILL.md` guide it to use the skill's commands (`./books search`, `./books info`, `./books author`) as intended, without any directives for malicious actions, data exfiltration, or ignoring user input. Network access is explicitly limited to `openlibrary.org`, which is a legitimate API endpoint for the stated purpose.
Capability Assessment
Purpose & Capability
Name/description (book lookups via Open Library) align with the declared binaries (bash, curl, jq) and the documented API usage. No credentials or unusual system access are requested.
Instruction Scope
SKILL.md instructs the agent to run a wrapper at {skill_folder}/books (and scripts/books) to call the Open Library API. However, this package contains only README.md and SKILL.md — the referenced executable wrappers/scripts are missing, so the instructions cannot be followed as-is. That gap could lead integrators to fetch external code or the agent to attempt to run non-existent binaries.
Install Mechanism
There is no install spec in the registry (instruction-only skill), which is low-risk. But the README includes an installation example that clones a GitHub repository (https://github.com/jeffaf/books-skill.git). If a user follows that README to install, they will pull and run code from an external source — a behavior not enforced or vetted by the skill package itself and which increases risk.
Credentials
No environment variables, credentials, or config paths are requested. The required tools (bash, curl, jq) are appropriate and proportionate for a CLI that queries a public API.
Persistence & Privilege
always is false and the skill does not request persistent privileges or modify other skills. Autonomous invocation is allowed by default (disable-model-invocation=false) — this is normal for skills and not, by itself, problematic.
How to Use
- Make sure OpenClaw is installed (local or Docker)
- Run the install command in chat:
/install books - After installation, invoke the skill by name or use
/books - Provide required inputs per the skill's parameter spec and get structured output
Version History
v1.0.0
Initial release — search and lookup books using Open Library via CLI.
- Search books by title, author, or subject (with prefix support).
- Retrieve detailed book info by work ID.
- Lookup author bios and bibliography by author ID.
- Outputs include key data: titles, publication year, ratings, subjects, descriptions, and cover links.
- No authentication or API key required; uses bash, curl, and jq.
Metadata
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Books?
CLI for AI agents to search and lookup books for their humans. Uses Open Library API. No auth required. It is an AI Agent Skill for Claude Code / OpenClaw, with 1439 downloads so far.
How do I install Books?
Run "/install books" in the OpenClaw or Claude Code chat to install it in one step — no extra setup required.
Is Books free?
Yes, Books is completely free (open-source). You can download, install and use it at no cost.
Which platforms does Books support?
Books is cross-platform and runs anywhere OpenClaw / Claude Code is available (cross-platform).
Who created Books?
It is built and maintained by jeffaf (@jeffaf); the current version is v1.0.0.
More Skills