# Open Library Books Scraper (`scrapers_lat/openlibrary-scraper`) Actor

Scrape books with title, authors, first publish year, edition count, ISBN, cover image, subjects and a direct link. Search by keyword. Export to JSON, CSV or Excel.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/scrapers\_lat/openlibrary-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [Scrapers Lat](https://apify.com/scrapers_lat) (community)
- **Categories:** Business, Developer tools, Other
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 96.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $6.80 / 1,000 results

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.
Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

Actors are web data automations that power AI and operations. They run on the Apify platform to scrape websites, process data, connect APIs, and automate workflows.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.
Actors are written with capital "A".

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.
The best way to integrate Actors is as follows.

- **AI agents and MCP clients** — the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/mcp.md) at `https://mcp.apify.com` (remote, streamable HTTP, OAuth on first use).
- **Agentic workflows and local Actor development** — [Agent Skills](https://apify.com/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json) with the [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): `npm install -g apify-cli`, then `apify login`.
- **JavaScript/TypeScript projects** — the official [JS/TS client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md): `npm install apify-client`.
- **Python projects** — the official [Python client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md): `pip install apify-client`.
- **Any other language** — the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md).

For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below.

For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt).

# README

## Open Library Books Scraper

> Search and export books as clean structured data: title, authors, publish years, edition count, every ISBN, publishers, reader ratings, median page count, subjects, people and places, cover image, read-online link and cross-reference IDs (Amazon, Goodreads, OCLC, LCCN, Dewey).

**📥 [Input](https://apify.com/scrapers_lat/openlibrary-scraper/input-schema) · 📤 [Output](https://apify.com/scrapers_lat/openlibrary-scraper/output-schema) · 💰 [Pricing](https://apify.com/scrapers_lat/openlibrary-scraper/pricing) · ▶️ [Examples](https://apify.com/scrapers_lat/openlibrary-scraper/examples)**

![Apify](https://img.shields.io/badge/Platform-Apify-1CE1CE?logo=apify\&logoColor=white)
![Books](https://img.shields.io/badge/Data-Books-blue)
![Output](https://img.shields.io/badge/Output-JSON%20%7C%20CSV%20%7C%20Excel-orange)

<table><tr>
<td align="center"><strong>Ratings & publishers</strong><br>page count per book</td>
<td align="center"><strong>Every ISBN + Amazon/Goodreads IDs</strong><br>plus cover & read-online link</td>
<td align="center"><strong>JSON / CSV / Excel</strong><br>output formats</td>
</tr></table>

<br>

### Who is it for

| Use case | Who benefits |
|---|---|
| Book apps | Builders populating catalogs and reading lists |
| Libraries | Teams enriching records with ISBNs and covers |
| Research | Analysts studying authors, subjects and editions |
| Discovery | Readers finding books by title, author or subject |

### How to use it

1. Enter a **search query** (a title, author or subject).
2. Set **Max Items** and run.
3. Export as JSON, CSV or Excel, or pull it through the Apify API.

### Frequently Asked Questions

**Can I search by author or subject?**
Yes. The search matches titles, authors and subjects, so you can search for a title like `the lord of the rings`, an author, or a topic.

**Do records include an ISBN and a cover?**
Yes. Each record includes an ISBN where available and a link to a cover image.

**What are subjects?**
Subjects are topic tags attached to the book, useful for grouping and recommendations. Each record includes the first several subjects.

**How fresh is the data?**
Records are read live at run time, so each reflects the catalog at the moment of the run (see observedAt).

### Example use cases

Ready-to-run example tasks, each preconfigured for a common scenario. Open one and press run, or use it as a template:

- [Open Library book search for the lord of the rings](https://apify.com/scrapers_lat/openlibrary-scraper/examples/olib-books-the-lord-of-the-rings): Search Open Library for books matching the lord of the rings with titles, authors, publish years, ISBNs and edition counts for catalog research.
- [Open Library book search for agatha christie](https://apify.com/scrapers_lat/openlibrary-scraper/examples/olib-books-agatha-christie): Search Open Library for books matching agatha christie with titles, authors, publish years, ISBNs and edition counts for catalog research.
- [Open Library book search for dune](https://apify.com/scrapers_lat/openlibrary-scraper/examples/olib-books-dune): Search Open Library for books matching dune with titles, authors, publish years, ISBNs and edition counts for catalog research.
- [Open Library book search for python programming](https://apify.com/scrapers_lat/openlibrary-scraper/examples/olib-books-python-programming): Search Open Library for books matching python programming with titles, authors, publish years, ISBNs and edition counts for catalog research.
- [Open Library book search for harry potter](https://apify.com/scrapers_lat/openlibrary-scraper/examples/olib-books-harry-potter): Search Open Library for books matching harry potter with titles, authors, publish years, ISBNs and edition counts for catalog research.
- [Open Library book search for stephen king](https://apify.com/scrapers_lat/openlibrary-scraper/examples/olib-books-stephen-king): Search Open Library for books matching stephen king with titles, authors, publish years, ISBNs and edition counts for catalog research.
- [Open Library book search for world war 2 history](https://apify.com/scrapers_lat/openlibrary-scraper/examples/olib-books-world-war-2-history): Search Open Library for books matching world war 2 history with titles, authors, publish years, ISBNs and edition counts for catalog research.
- [Open Library book search for machine learning textbook](https://apify.com/scrapers_lat/openlibrary-scraper/examples/olib-books-machine-learning-textbook): Search Open Library for books matching machine learning textbook with titles, authors, publish years, ISBNs and edition counts for catalog research.
- [Open Library book search for jane austen](https://apify.com/scrapers_lat/openlibrary-scraper/examples/olib-books-jane-austen): Search Open Library for books matching jane austen with titles, authors, publish years, ISBNs and edition counts for catalog research.
- [Open Library book search for cookbook](https://apify.com/scrapers_lat/openlibrary-scraper/examples/olib-books-cookbook): Search Open Library for books matching cookbook with titles, authors, publish years, ISBNs and edition counts for catalog research.

### Export, API and AI agents (x402 + MCP)

Export the scraped data to **JSON, CSV or Excel**, pull it as a **dataset** through the Apify **API**, or wire it into your app with **no code**. This web scraper and data extractor also works for bulk data extraction and scheduled runs.

For AI agents: this Actor is available on **x402**, Apify's agentic payment standard built with Coinbase. An AI agent can discover, pay for and run it on its own with a funded wallet and a single HTTP request: no account, no subscription, no API key and no human in the loop. It also runs as an **MCP** tool inside Claude, Cursor and other AI clients out of the box. Learn more about [x402 agentic payments on Apify](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/x402).

### Related scrapers

- [OpenAlex Scholarly Works Scraper](https://apify.com/scrapers_lat/openalex-scraper)
- [Crossref Scholarly Metadata Scraper](https://apify.com/scrapers_lat/crossref-scraper)
- [PubMed Articles Scraper](https://apify.com/scrapers_lat/pubmed-scraper)

### More scrapers at scrapers.lat

This actor is built and maintained by [scrapers.lat](https://scrapers.lat), where we publish scrapers for public platforms: finance, news, real estate, jobs, e-commerce and government data. Browse the full catalog or ask us for a custom scraper at [scrapers.lat](https://scrapers.lat).

***

> This actor is an independent tool and has no affiliation with Open Library. It only accesses publicly available data. Use the results in accordance with the source's terms.

# Actor input Schema

## `maxBooks` (type: `integer`):

Maximum number of books to collect. Optional.

## `searchQuery` (type: `string`):

Keyword to search books by title, author or subject (for example 'the lord of the rings', 'stephen king', 'machine learning').

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "maxBooks": 10,
  "searchQuery": "the lord of the rings"
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

No description

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "maxBooks": 10,
    "searchQuery": "the lord of the rings"
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("scrapers_lat/openlibrary-scraper").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {
    "maxBooks": 10,
    "searchQuery": "the lord of the rings",
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("scrapers_lat/openlibrary-scraper").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print("💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/" + run["defaultDatasetId"])
for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "maxBooks": 10,
  "searchQuery": "the lord of the rings"
}' |
apify call scrapers_lat/openlibrary-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "mcp-remote",
                "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=scrapers_lat/openlibrary-scraper",
                "--header",
                "Authorization: Bearer <YOUR_API_TOKEN>"
            ]
        }
    }
}

```

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/iYWFlTbbhFbaoMs7p/builds/asGK7616k862gJ2Dh/openapi.json