hathitrust-digital.catalog.batch_lookup
Look up 1-10 identifiers (any mix of oclc/isbn/issn/lccn/htid/recordnumber) against the HathiTrust catalog in a single call. Returns the same per-identifier record + item availability data as lookup_by_id, one result per queried identifier — use this instead of repeated lookup_by_id calls when ch...
This record as markdown: /tools/io-github-whiteknightonhorse-apibase/hathitrust-digital.catalog.batch-lookup.md
What hathitrust-digital.catalog.batch_lookup does on Apibase
AI agents call hathitrust-digital.catalog.batch_lookup to retrieve information from Apibase without modifying anything. It is typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.
| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
ids | array | Yes | 1-10 identifiers to look up in a single call, each with its own id_type |
Parameters from the server's own tool schema.
Why hathitrust-digital.catalog.batch_lookup is rated Low
Retrieves bibliographic records and availability information from HathiTrust with no side effects.
From the tool's definition Look up identifiers, returns record + item availability data, no auth required
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs hathitrust-digital.catalog.batch_lookup safely
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and Apibase, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For hathitrust-digital.catalog.batch_lookup, this is the rule to start with:
hathitrust-digital.catalog.batch_lookup is read-only, so it stays allowed. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect Apibase, apply this rule, and every hathitrust-digital.catalog.batch_lookup call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about hathitrust-digital.catalog.batch_lookup
Look up 1-10 identifiers (any mix of oclc/isbn/issn/lccn/htid/recordnumber) against the HathiTrust catalog in a single call. Returns the same per-identifier record + item availability data as lookup_by_id, one result per queried identifier — use this instead of repeated lookup_by_id calls when checking availability for a reading list or citation set. Data: HathiTrust Bibliographic API, no auth required. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Apibase MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.
hathitrust-digital.catalog.batch_lookup accepts 1 parameter: ids. Required: ids. The full parameter table on this page comes from the server's own tool schema.
Register the Apibase MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for hathitrust-digital.catalog.batch_lookup: 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 Apibase. Nothing to install.
hathitrust-digital.catalog.batch_lookup 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 hathitrust-digital.catalog.batch_lookup 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 hathitrust-digital.catalog.batch_lookup. 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.
hathitrust-digital.catalog.batch_lookup is provided by the Apibase MCP server (apibase-mcp-client). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
More on Apibase, and thousands of servers like it.
This server
Across the catalogue