LibraryAPI vs Open Library
LibraryAPI is an MCP server published by libraryapi.dev. Marketplaces we read that list it: 1 (Official MCP Registry). Open Library is an MCP server published by 8enSmith. Marketplaces we read that list it: 1 (Official MCP Registry). As of our marketplace pass on 2026-10-16. This pair was picked by a reader, not by our comparison rule, so search engines are asked not to index the page.
Where each is published
| Marketplace |  LibraryAPI |  Open Library |
|---|---|---|
| Official MCP Registry | Listed Version: 0.1.3 Downloads/month (PyPI): 203 Downloads/week (PyPI): 43 Forks (GitHub): 0 Stars (GitHub): 0 Not marked · First seen |
Listed Version: 1.2.2 Downloads/month (npm): 741 Downloads/week (npm): 157 Forks (GitHub): 25 Stars (GitHub): 96 Not marked · First seen |
Each figure is the marketplace's own and is never added up across marketplaces. A marketplace that publishes no figure shows none: no number is not zero.
The facts side by side
| Fact | LibraryAPI | Open Library |
|---|---|---|
| Marketplaces that list it | 1 | 1 |
| Stars (GitHub) (differs) | 0 (worse) | 96 (better) |
| Forks (GitHub) (differs) | 0 (worse) | 25 (better) |
| Last release | Not published | Not published |
| Where it runs (differs) | On your machine (libraryapi-mcp) | On your machine (mcp-open-library) |
| Transport | stdio | stdio |
| Tools it declares | Not published | Not published |
| Environment variables it asks for (differs) | 1, secrets among them: 1 | Not published |
| Licence | Not stated | Not stated |
| Repository (differs) | github.com/library-api/libraryapi-mcp | github.com/8ensmith/mcp-open-library |
| Changes in the last 7 days | 0 | 0 |
| First seen | 2026-10-11 | 2026-10-11 |
Lines where the two differ have a tinted background and bold values. Where the data itself says which value is better (more marketplaces, a larger figure of the same marketplace, a fresher release, a verified mark on a marketplace that lists both), the better one is also marked green with ▲ and the worse one red with ▼. Where it runs, the transport, the tools, the settings, hooks, the bundle's parts, the licence and the week's changes are marked only as different: more or fewer is not better in itself.
What each says it does
LibraryAPI
US public libraries and branches near any address, with collections from the IMLS survey
Open Library
Search books and authors on the Internet Archive's Open Library
How to run each
LibraryAPI As a local MCP server: PyPI package
claude mcp add --env "LIBRARYAPI_KEY=<YOUR_LIBRARYAPI_KEY>" --transport stdio libraryapi-mcp -- uvx libraryapi-mcpRequires: LIBRARYAPI_KEY (secret)
Open Library As a local MCP server: npm package
claude mcp add --transport stdio mcp-open-library -- npx -y mcp-open-libraryCommands built only from what the marketplaces declare; the full set for every client is on each card.
Tools each declares
Neither one's marketplaces publish a list of tools, so there is nothing to compare.
Settings each asks for
The marketplaces of Open Library publish no settings it asks for, so we do not compare settings.
What it can do: LibraryAPI · What it can do: Open Library · Compare two other plugins
Data comes from the Official MCP Registry (registry.modelcontextprotocol.io), CC0 1.0. Figures come from our own regular passes over the marketplaces, last read on . We publish no contact details for plugin publishers.