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Getting Started

Prerequisites​

  • Go 1.21+ — For building the server
  • Hardcover account — Sign up and get an API key from Settings > API
  • Libby account — Library card connected to the Libby app

Installation​

Build from Source​

git clone https://github.com/andylbrummer/booklife-mcp.git
cd booklife-mcp/booklife-mcp
go build -o booklife ./cmd/booklife

Connect Libby​

Libby authentication uses a clone code from the app:

  1. Open Libby app on your phone
  2. Go to Settings → Copy To Another Device → Sonos Speakers
  3. Note the 8-digit code (you have ~40 seconds)
  4. Run:
./booklife libby-connect <8-digit-code>

The identity is saved to ~/.config/booklife/libby-identity.json.

Set Environment Variables​

export HARDCOVER_API_KEY="your-key-from-hardcover-settings"

Configuration​

Create a booklife.kdl configuration file:

server {
    name "booklife"
    version "0.1.0"
    transport "stdio"
}

providers {
    hardcover enabled=true {
        api-key env="HARDCOVER_API_KEY"
        endpoint "https://api.hardcover.app/v1/graphql"
    }

    libby enabled=true {
        notifications {
            hold-available true
            due-soon-days 3
        }
    }

    open-library enabled=true {
        endpoint "https://openlibrary.org"
        covers-endpoint "https://covers.openlibrary.org"
    }
}

See Configuration for the full reference.

Add to Claude Desktop​

Add to your claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "booklife": {
      "command": "/path/to/booklife",
      "args": ["--config", "/path/to/booklife.kdl"],
      "env": {
        "HARDCOVER_API_KEY": "your-api-key"
      }
    }
  }
}

Verify​

Start a conversation with Claude and ask:

"Use the info tool to show me what BookLife can do."

You should see the full category overview with available tools and workflows.

Import Reading History (Optional)​

If you have Libby reading history to import:

  1. In Libby app: Settings → Reading History → Export Timeline
  2. Copy the JSON URL
  3. Use the history_import_timeline tool or CLI:
./booklife import-timeline /path/to/timeline.json --config booklife.kdl

Next Steps​

  • Run sync with action="sync_all" to do a comprehensive initial sync
  • Use profile_get to see your reading profile
  • Try booklife_find_book_everywhere to search across all sources