| name | zlib-download |
| description | Search and download books from Z-Library and Anna's Archive. Use when user wants to find, search, download, or look up books, papers, or ebooks. Trigger phrases include "find book", "search book", "download book", "找书", "下载书籍", "搜书", "book search", "zlibrary", "anna's archive". |
Book Tools
Search and download books from multiple sources through a unified CLI.
Backends
| Backend | Source | Auth Required | Best For |
|---|
| zlib | Z-Library (EAPI) | Email + Password | Largest catalog, direct download |
| annas | Anna's Archive | API Key (donation) | Aggregated sources, multiple mirrors |
First-Time Setup
On first invocation, run the setup check and guide the user through configuration interactively.
Step 1: Check Dependencies
bash ${SKILL_PATH}/scripts/setup.sh check
Output is key=value pairs. Check each:
| Key | OK | Missing Action |
|---|
PYTHON | ok | Python 3 not found — user must install it |
REQUESTS | ok | Run bash ${SKILL_PATH}/scripts/setup.sh install-deps |
ANNAS_BINARY | ok | Run bash ${SKILL_PATH}/scripts/setup.sh install-annas (optional) |
Step 2: Configure Credentials
Credentials are stored in ~/.claude/book-tools/.env. Create the file from the skill's bundled template:
mkdir -p ~/.claude/book-tools
cp ${SKILL_PATH}/scripts/.env.example ~/.claude/book-tools/.env
The .env file looks like this:
# Z-Library credentials
ZLIB_EMAIL=your_email@example.com
ZLIB_PASSWORD=your_password_here
# Anna's Archive (optional, requires donation for API key)
# ANNAS_SECRET_KEY=your_api_key_here
IMPORTANT: Do NOT ask the user for credentials directly in chat. Instead:
- Create the
.env file (or .env.example template)
- Tell the user to edit
~/.claude/book-tools/.env with their credentials
- Wait for the user to confirm they've filled it in
- Then proceed with search
Alternatively, credentials can be set via CLI (less recommended — visible in shell history):
python3 ${SKILL_PATH}/scripts/book.py config set --zlib-email "user@example.com" --zlib-password "password"
Step 3: Verify
python3 ${SKILL_PATH}/scripts/book.py setup
Expected output when Z-Library is configured:
{
"zlib": { "requests_installed": true, "configured": true },
"annas": { "binary_found": true, "api_key_configured": false }
}
If configured is true, the skill is ready to use.
Credential Storage Details
Two sources are merged (.env values take priority):
| Source | Path | Format |
|---|
.env file | ~/.claude/book-tools/.env | KEY=value per line |
| Config JSON | ~/.claude/book-tools/config.json | JSON (auto-managed) |
On first successful Z-Library login, remix tokens are cached in config.json — subsequent calls skip the email/password login and use tokens directly.
Workflow
The typical flow is: search → pick → download.
1. Search
python3 ${SKILL_PATH}/scripts/book.py search "machine learning" --limit 10
python3 ${SKILL_PATH}/scripts/book.py search "deep learning" --source zlib --lang english --ext pdf --limit 5
python3 ${SKILL_PATH}/scripts/book.py search "reinforcement learning" --source annas
python3 ${SKILL_PATH}/scripts/book.py search "莱姆 索拉里斯" --source zlib --lang chinese --limit 5
Output (JSON to stdout):
{
"source": "zlib",
"count": 5,
"books": [
{
"source": "zlib",
"id": "12345",
"hash": "abc123def",
"title": "Deep Learning",
"author": "Ian Goodfellow",
"year": "2016",
"language": "english",
"extension": "pdf",
"filesize": "22.5 MB"
}
]
}
2. Present Results to User
After searching, present results as a numbered table so the user can pick:
| # | Title | Author | Year | Format | Size |
|---|-------|--------|------|--------|------|
| 1 | Deep Learning | Ian Goodfellow | 2016 | pdf | 22.5 MB |
| 2 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
If results span multiple languages or editions, group them by language or category with sub-headings for clarity.
Ask: "Which book would you like to download? (number)"
3. Download
python3 ${SKILL_PATH}/scripts/book.py download --source zlib --id 12345 --hash abc123def -o ~/Downloads/
python3 ${SKILL_PATH}/scripts/book.py download --source annas --hash a1b2c3d4e5 --filename "deep_learning.pdf" -o ~/Downloads/
Output:
{
"source": "zlib",
"status": "ok",
"path": "~/Downloads/Deep Learning (Ian Goodfellow).pdf",
"size": 23592960
}
4. Report to User
After download, report:
- File path (so user can open it)
- File size
- Any remaining download quota (Z-Library has daily limits)
Other Commands
Book Info (Z-Library only)
python3 ${SKILL_PATH}/scripts/book.py info --source zlib --id 12345 --hash abc123def
Returns full metadata: description, ISBN, pages, table of contents, etc.
Check Config
python3 ${SKILL_PATH}/scripts/book.py config show
Check Backend Status
python3 ${SKILL_PATH}/scripts/book.py setup
Error Handling
| Error | Cause | Action |
|---|
| "Z-Library not configured" | No credentials | Guide user to edit ~/.claude/book-tools/.env |
| "Z-Library login failed" | Bad credentials or service down | Ask user to verify credentials. Z-Library domains change — if persistent, the vendored Zlibrary.py domain may need updating. |
| "annas-mcp binary not found" | Binary not installed | Run setup.sh install-annas |
| "Anna's Archive API key not configured" | No API key | Guide user to donate at Anna's Archive for API access, then add key to .env |
| Search timeout | Network issue | Retry once. If persistent, try the other backend. |
| "No backend available" | Neither backend configured | Walk through full setup flow from Step 1 |
Tips
- Z-Library has a daily download limit (usually 10/day for free accounts). Use
info to check a book before downloading to avoid wasting quota.
- Anna's Archive requires an API key for both search and download (obtained via donation).
- For Chinese books, use
--lang chinese with Z-Library for best results.
- If Z-Library is unreachable, automatically fall back to Anna's Archive with
--source auto.
- When searching for a specific author in multiple languages, run parallel searches (e.g. English name + Chinese name) and merge results into one table.
