Open Library API

The Open Library API offers metadata for books from the Internet Archive’s book collection.

Details

• Website: openlibrary.org
• Supported formats: books
• Authentication: No authentication required
• Rate limiting: Cover access is rate-limited when not using CoverID or OLID by max 100 requests/IP every 5 minutes. This plugin uses OLID, so there shouldn’t be a rate limit.
• SFW filter support: No

Search by ID

The ID can be one of three types:

• /works/ ID (recommended)
• /books/ ID (for specific editions)
• /isbn/ ID (ISBN)

Works ID (Recommended)

The works ID identifies the overall work, encompassing all editions.

Finding the Works ID

1. Navigate to a book page on Open Library
2. Look near the top of the page above the title
3. You’ll see text like “An edition of [Book Title] (Year)”
4. Click on it or look at the URL
5. The works ID is in the format /works/OL#######W

Example

For “Fantastic Mr. Fox”:

• URL: https://openlibrary.org/works/OL45804W
• ID: /works/OL45804W

Books ID (Specific Edition)

The books ID identifies a specific edition of a work.

Finding the Books ID

1. Navigate to a specific edition page
2. Look at the URL
3. The ID is in the format /books/OL#######M

Example

For a specific edition of “Fantastic Mr. Fox”:

• URL: https://openlibrary.org/books/OL3567303M/
• ID: /books/OL3567303M

Which ID to Use?

• Works ID: Use when you want general information about the book
• Books ID: Use when you want a specific edition (with specific ISBN, publisher, etc.)
• ISBN: Use when you have the ISBN and want that specific printing