# Open Library API

Search books, authors, and editions from an open library catalog.

- Canonical guide: https://findpublicapis.com/apis/open-library/
- Category: Books & culture
- Authentication: No key
- Access: Free access
- Documentation reviewed: 2026-09-16 (not live uptime testing)
- Official documentation: https://openlibrary.org/developers/api

## What you could build
Make a reading-list search that helps a person choose a book by title or author.

## Usage conditions
Intended for low-volume, human-facing book discovery. Cache requests; the default limit is 1 request/second. Not intended as a high-traffic commercial backend.

## Example endpoint
https://openlibrary.org/search.json?q=the+hobbit&limit=5

Browser requests require provider CORS support. Confirm current access, pricing, and usage rights with the provider.