Get detailed information for a specific author using their Open Library Author Key (e.g. OL23919A).
AI agents call get_author_info to retrieve information from Open Library MCP Server without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
author_key | string | — | The Open Library key for the author (e.g., OL23919A). |
Parameters from the server's own tool schema.
This tool performs a pure data retrieval operation—fetching author details from the Open Library using a provided identifier. No side effects, modifications, deletions, code execution, or financial operations are possible. Misuse would only impact confidentiality at worst (exposure of public book/author metadata), with minimal blast radius.
From the tool's definition Tool description states 'Get detailed information for a specific author' and retrieves data via author key lookup.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access get_author_info gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Open Library MCP Server, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for get_author_info:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"get_author_info": {}
}
}get_author_info is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
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Get detailed information for a specific author using their Open Library Author Key (e.g. OL23919A). It is categorised as a Read tool in the Open Library MCP Server MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
get_author_info accepts 1 parameter: author_key. The full parameter table on this page comes from the server's own tool schema.
Register the Open Library MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for get_author_info: allow, deny, rate-limit, or require approval. Point your MCP client at the PolicyLayer proxy URL and the rule is enforced on every call, before it reaches Open Library MCP Server. Nothing to install.
get_author_info is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the get_author_info rule in your PolicyLayer policy. For example, setting max: 10 and window: 60 limits the tool to 10 calls per minute. Rate limits are tracked per agent session and reset automatically.
Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for get_author_info. The AI agent will receive a policy violation error and cannot call the tool. You can also include a reason field to explain why the tool is blocked.
get_author_info is provided by the Open Library MCP Server MCP server (8enSmith/mcp-open-library). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Start from Open Library MCP Server, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.
Free to start. No card required.
6 Open Library MCP Server tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.