Library of Alexandria is answering right now. Last checked 5 min ago. It exposes 26 tools. Last commit 27 Oct 2026.
Classic books in 25 languages: search, print editions, the free shelf. Read-only, no sign-in.
Uptime history
7 days of history
7 days agonow
100.0%
Uptime 24h
91 of 91 checks
26
Tools
read from the server
231 ms
Response time
average over 24h
0
Stars
last commit 27 Oct 2026
What changed 41
Every tool that appeared, vanished or quietly changed what it asks for. Recorded since 27 October 2026. No other catalogue keeps this.
28 Oct
21 tools changed the parameters they ask for
browse_collection, explain_phrase, find_quote_source and 18 more
28 Oct
11 tools appeared
create_custom_print_order, get_book_outline, get_cover_upload_link and 8 more
28 Oct
a tool description was rewritten
get_book
27 Oct
7 tools appeared
browse_collection, explain_phrase, find_quote_source and 4 more
27 Oct
a tool changed version
Nothing serious here today
Today is the operative word: we check Library of Alexandria every 15 minutes and re-read its code on every release. Watch it and you find out the day that stops being true.
Connect this server
Endpoint below is the one we actually reach during checks — not the one copied from a README. Last verified 5 min ago.
run in your terminal
claude mcp add library-of-alexandria --transport http https://mcp.libraryofalexandria.com/mcpSettings → Connectors → Add custom connector, then paste this address
https://mcp.libraryofalexandria.com/mcp~/.codex/config.toml
[mcp_servers.library-of-alexandria]
url = "https://mcp.libraryofalexandria.com/mcp".cursor/mcp.json
{
"mcpServers": {
"library-of-alexandria": {
"url": "https://mcp.libraryofalexandria.com/mcp"
}
}
}.vscode/mcp.json
{
"servers": {
"library-of-alexandria": {
"type": "http",
"url": "https://mcp.libraryofalexandria.com/mcp"
}
}
}Available tools 26
Read directly from the server with tools/list, grouped by what they act on.
If a tool disappears, we record the date.
book
get_book
Get the catalogue facts of one title: title, subtitle, author and original title in the chosen language, the cover picture address, the print editions, and the title page address in each language in which libraryofalexandria.com has the page (a language without a page there is not listed, so the list can be shorter than the languages of the catalogue). `url_language` says when `url` is in another language than the one asked.
get_book_facts
Get the reading facts of one title: its reading level, word count, estimated reading time at three paces, page counts of the print editions, audio length, number of chapters, year of first publication, and whether a 15-minute summary is open. Facts that are not known yet are listed as not available yet.
get_book_outline
List the chapters and their access for the signed-in member. Only open titles are shown, and no chapter text is returned.
search_in_book
Find paragraphs by keywords in chapters open to the signed-in member. Returns at most five short snippets, within word and reading limits.
free
list_free_shelf
List the titles on the free shelf, optionally for one language and one subject, with the address of each reading page.
read_free_chapter
Read one chapter of a title on the free shelf, in pages of at most 400 words. Chapter numbers are those of the reader's contents list; without 'chapter' the first chapter of the text is read. Every answer points to the next page. Until the text is open the answer says that it opens here soon.
quote
find_quote_source
Find where a quotation comes from: give at least six words of it and get the title, chapter and paragraph of the open texts of the library that contain it, with the address to read it there. It answers only for texts that are open and never returns the words of the book.
quote_custom_print
Prepare a printed copy of one title with a personal message page, as a gift or for yourself: get the normal price of the paperback, hardcover or large print edition, the total for the number of copies, and the address of the page on libraryofalexandria.com where the message is written and the order is placed. Shipping and tax are shown at checkout.
books
search_books
Search the catalogue of Library of Alexandria Press by words from a title or an author's name, or by a topic word, in any language of the catalogue (Chinese in simplified and traditional characters). Returns up to 8 titles with id, title, subtitle, author, language, whether print editions are available, and the address of the title page on libraryofalexandria.com. Pass the asker's language so titles and authors come back in it.
browse
browse_collection
Browse a ready-made shelf of the library: the free books, the easy, medium or challenging reading levels, the lost books, the titles with a 15-minute summary, or the most popular titles. Returns up to 8 titles at a time, with a cursor for the next page.
chapter
get_chapter_summary
Get the summary of one chapter, act or section of a title, or, without a number, the list of its chapters with their titles. Each summary is a few hundred words at most and points to the next one. A title whose chapter summaries are not open yet says that they open here soon.
cover
get_cover_upload_link
Get the page where a person can add their own cover picture to a printed copy. Uploading a cover opens here soon; until then the answer points to the page where the personal message is written.
custom
create_custom_print_order
Continue from a quote: get the address of the page on libraryofalexandria.com where the person writes the message, sees the proof and pays. Nothing is ordered or paid through the assistant, and no card or address is asked for here.
explain
explain_phrase
Explain a saying or idiom: what it means, where it comes from, and which titles of the library use it. A phrase that is not in the collection gets the closest phrases that are.
library
list_my_library
List the saved books of the signed-in member with their reader addresses. Returns at most 50 books at a time and never returns book text.
listen
get_listen_link
Get the listen page address of an open title for the signed-in member. No audio is returned, and access is checked by the listen page.
open
open_in_reader
Get a chapter address for the signed-in member to open in the reader. Only open titles are linked, and the reader checks chapter access.
order
get_order_status
Check where a printed order stands. Today the answer points to the e-mail of the order and to the account on libraryofalexandria.com; tracking through an assistant opens here soon.
passage
get_passage
Read a located paragraph with nearby paragraphs for the signed-in member. Access is checked again and each passage is limited to 400 words.
plan
get_my_plan
Read the plan and daily words left for the signed-in member. Passages come only from titles open to you, within a daily word limit.
print
get_print_options
Get the print editions of one title (standard and large print; paperback or hardcover) with the normal price in US dollars where it exists, ISBN-13 and page count where known, and the address of each product page.
publisher
get_publisher_info
Get the publisher's standard description, the languages of the catalogue and the address of the terms page.
recommend
recommend_classics
Recommend classics: give the title of a book you liked, or its id, and get the books its readers also enjoyed; or give a topic or a mood and get titles that match it. Filter by reading level or by the free shelf.
sample
get_sample
Read the free opening of one title: the first chapter of its text, in pages of at most 400 words. Pass 'page' for the next page; every answer says how many pages there are and where the text continues. Until the text is open the answer says that it opens here soon.
summary
get_summary
Read the 15-minute summary of one title: the first key idea in full, with its heading, and the headings of the other key ideas, which open in the library. Choose a key idea with 'part'. A title or a language whose summary is not open yet answers that it opens here soon.
themes
get_themes
Get the study guide of one title: its main themes, symbols, setting and recurring motifs, each in a few sentences, with the address of the full study guide. A title or language whose guide is not open yet says that it opens here soon.
Endpoints
| URL | Transport | State | Latency | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| https://mcp.libraryofalexandria.com/mcp | streamable-http | answering | 170 ms | 5 min ago |
Alternatives to Library of Alexandria
same job, measured the same wayGreat Library Project
by greatlibraryproject
Free classics as interlinears: search the books, read any passage word by word, look up any word.
30book
by sepehr071
Unofficial read-only 30book: search Iranian printed books, compare editions and prices.
Alexandria Archive
by alexandria-archive
History of Alexandria, Egypt: search the archive, read articles, find events and prints.
Remember Me – Bible Verse Collections
by remem
Browse Bible verse collections to memorize, in 48 languages. Public and read-only, no sign-in.
Youth4work (public, no sign-in)
by youth4work
Read-only search of Youth4work public jobs, assessed talent, exam mock tests and Indian colleges.
MCP Imslp
by smeet666
Read IMSLP, the Petrucci Music Library: works, scores, editions, copyright. No API key.
Cubi Estate
by cubi
Read-only European property search by location, price, size and features. No sign-in required.
Savee
by savee
Read your Savee saves, boards and home feed, and search its public library. Read-only.
Library of Alexandria — questions
Answers built from our own checks of this server.
What can Library of Alexandria do?
It exposes 26 tools, read directly from the server on our last check. Among them: browse_collection, create_custom_print_order, explain_phrase, find_quote_source, get_book, get_book_facts and 20 more. The full list with descriptions is on this page — we take it from the server itself via tools/list, not from a README.
How MCP servers expose tools in the first place →
What is Library of Alexandria mostly used for?
Its tools cluster around book, free and quote. That is what this server is built to work with — the grouping comes from the actual tool names, not from a category we assigned.
Is Library of Alexandria working right now?
We send a real MCP handshake every 15 minutes. Over the last 24 hours 91 of 91 checks got a reply (100.0%), average response time 231 ms. The bar chart above shows every period we have measured.
How do I connect Library of Alexandria?
Copy the ready config from this page. We generate it for Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Codex, Cursor and VS Code, each in the form that client actually reads. It is a remote server, so there is nothing to install — the client connects to the address.
Does Library of Alexandria need an API key?
No. Library of Alexandria completed a full MCP handshake with us as an anonymous client and listed its tools without asking for anything. All 26 of them are readable on this page. This is what we observed, not what the docs claim.
How fast is Library of Alexandria?
It answers our handshake in 231 ms on average, which is faster than 62% of all working MCP servers we measure. The comparison comes from our own checks across the whole registry, every 15 minutes.
Is Library of Alexandria open source?
The code is open source: it is published under the MIT licence, written in JavaScript, 0 stars on GitHub and 1 open issue. The licence covers the code in the repository, not the hosted service at mcp.libraryofalexandria.com, which runs on its operator's own terms.