Get the URL for an author's photo using their Open Library Author ID (OLID e.g. OL23919A).
AI agents call get_author_photo 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
olid | string | — | The Open Library Author ID (OLID) for the author (e.g. OL23919A). |
Parameters from the server's own tool schema.
This tool performs a simple lookup and retrieval operation returning metadata (a URL). It has no side effects, cannot modify or delete data, and poses minimal risk if misused—worst case, an AI agent retrieves an unintended author's photo URL, which has negligible impact.
From the tool's definition Tool retrieves a photo URL for an author using their Open Library Author ID. The name 'get_author_photo' and description explicitly indicate data retrieval ('Get the URL') with no modification, deletion, or execution capability.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access get_author_photo 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_photo:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"get_author_photo": {}
}
}get_author_photo is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
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Get the URL for an author's photo using their Open Library Author ID (OLID 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_photo accepts 1 parameter: olid. 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_photo: 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_photo 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_photo 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_photo. 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_photo 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.