Search for author information on Open Library.
AI agents call get_authors_by_name 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
name | string | — | The name of the author to search for. |
Parameters from the server's own tool schema.
This tool performs a read-only search query against Open Library's public database. It retrieves author information without side effects, modifications, or irreversible actions. The severity is low because the data is public and search operations pose minimal risk. No financial, destructive, or execution concerns apply.
From the tool's definition The tool is described as 'Search for author information on Open Library' and retrieves data ('author information') with no modification or deletion capability.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access get_authors_by_name 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_authors_by_name:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"get_authors_by_name": {}
}
}get_authors_by_name is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
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Search for author information on Open Library. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Open Library MCP Server MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
get_authors_by_name accepts 1 parameter: name. 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_authors_by_name: 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_authors_by_name 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_authors_by_name 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_authors_by_name. 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_authors_by_name 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.