libby-book-monitor

# Libby/OverDrive Book Monitor

Track book availability on Libby/OverDrive libraries. Search catalogues, manage a watchlist, and get notified when books are added to your library's collection.

> **Disclaimer**: This is an unofficial tool, not affiliated with or endorsed by OverDrive/Libby. Catalogue data queries APIs that power the website and may not reflect actual availability. This tool does NOT borrow books or place holds. Provided "as is" without warranty of any kind.

## Quick Start

```bash
# Search a library catalogue
python3 {baseDir}/scripts/libby-book-monitor.py search telaviv "Project Hail Mary"

# Add a book to your watchlist
python3 {baseDir}/scripts/libby-book-monitor.py watch "Kafka on the Shore" --author "Haruki Murakami"

# Check your watchlist against the API
python3 {baseDir}/scripts/libby-book-monitor.py check

# Show your watchlist
python3 {baseDir}/scripts/libby-book-monitor.py list
```

## Commands

| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| `search <library> <query>` | Search a library catalogue by title/author |
| `watch <title>` | Add a book to the watchlist |
| `unwatch <title>` | Remove a book from the watchlist |
| `list` | Show the watchlist with status |
| `check` | Check all watchlist books against the API |

## Options

| Option | Commands | Description |
|--------|----------|-------------|
| `--profile <name>` | all | Separate watchlist per user |
| `--author <name>` | watch | Specify book author |
| `--library <code>` | watch | Library code (default: from config) |
| `--notify` | check | Only print newly found books (for cron) |
| `--data-dir <path>` | all | Custom data directory |

## Profiles

Use `--profile` to maintain separate watchlists for different people:

```bash
python3 {baseDir}/scripts/libby-book-monitor.py --profile jane watch "Dune"
python3 {baseDir}/scripts/libby-book-monitor.py --profile bob check --notify
```

## Configuration

Default library is `telaviv` Israel Digital. Edit `~/.libby-book-monitor/c...

# Libby book monitor - get notified when books arrive in your library's catalog

![License: MIT](https://img.shields.io/badge/License-MIT-yellow.svg)
![Agent Skills](https://img.shields.io/badge/Agent%20Skills-compatible-purple)

> **[Agent Skills](https://agentskills.io) format** - works with OpenClaw, Claude, Cursor, Codex, and other compatible clients

Track book availability on [Libby/OverDrive](https://www.overdrive.com/) libraries. Search catalogs, manage a watchlist, and get notified when books are added to your library's collection.

## The problem

Libby notifies you when a hold becomes available. It does not notify you when a book is *added* to your library. If you're waiting for a new release that isn't in the catalog yet, your only option is to keep checking manually - and if you forget, someone else places a hold first and you're waiting months.

This tool watches for books that aren't in your library yet and tells you the moment they appear - before there's a waitlist.

## Installation

```bash
npx skills add alexpolonsky/agent-skill-libby-book-monitor
```

<details>
<summary>Manual install (any agent skills client)</summary>

```bash
# OpenClaw
git clone https://github.com/alexpolonsky/agent-skill-libby-book-monitor ~/.openclaw/skills/libby-book-monitor

# Claude
git clone https://github.com/alexpolonsky/agent-skill-libby-book-monitor ~/.claude/skills/libby-book-monitor

# Cursor
git clone https://github.com/alexpolonsky/agent-skill-libby-book-monitor ~/.cursor/skills/libby-book-monitor
```

</details>

<details>
<summary>Standalone CLI</summary>

```bash
git clone https://github.com/alexpolonsky/agent-skill-libby-book-monitor
cd agent-skill-libby-book-monitor
python3 scripts/libby-book-monitor.py search nypl "The Travelling Cat Chronicles"
```

Requires Python 3.9+ with no external dependencies.

</details>

## What you can ask

> "Is 'The Travelling Cat Chronicles' by Hiro Arikawa available at my library yet?"

- "Add 'Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and To...