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Show HN: MCP server for searching and downloading documents from Anna's Archive

(github.com)
252 points iosifache | 7 comments | 09 Jul 25 21:06 UTC | HN request time: 1.282s | source | bottom

I was looking around for an MCP server that could connect Anna's Archive to Claude Desktop, as I wanted to be able to search and download books directly through the interface.

I couldn't find any public implementations, so ended up building one myself.

What it does?

- It searches Anna's Archive by keywords. - It downloads books from search results. - It works directly in Claude Desktop through MCP.

Check out the repository's README for detailed installation and configuration instructions.

The code is fully open source and builds run on GitHub Actions for transparency.

I figured I'd share, since I couldn't be the only one wanting this functionality!

1. profsummergig ◴[10 Jul 25 03:01 UTC] No.44516777[source]▶
My understanding of Anna's Archive is that one has to download large zip files (>10 Gb) containing thousands of books even if one wants only a single book.

Am I correct here?

Does this MCP server allow one to download just a single book?

I remember once using an IPFS based tool to download a single 200-year-old, out-of-copyright copy of "Last of the Mohicans" from Anna's Archive. It worked, but was very very complicated to figure out how to make it work.

replies(4): >>44516867 #>>44517057 #>>44517305 #>>44519513 #
2. LeratoAustini ◴[10 Jul 25 04:02 UTC] No.44517057[source]▶
I've downloaded single books several times recently (annas-archive.org in the browser):

  - search for book
  - tap a result
  - see a list of links to download mirrors (under 'slow downloads'), tap a link
  - get a countdown timer
  - timer expires, download links appear
  - click a link, book downloads just like any other download
replies(2): >>44517542 #>>44518781 #
3. navigate8310 ◴[10 Jul 25 04:49 UTC] No.44517305[source]▶
You are incorrect in your assumption. Though I would also like you to search for "IRC books reddit". Unlike Anna's Archive, you get high quality books with fast download speeds.
4. iosifache ◴[10 Jul 25 05:24 UTC] No.44517542[source]▶
The waiting part is nonexistent if you have an active donation (which is also required by this MCP server for API access). The fast downloads mean you request a book and start downloading it immediately.
replies(1): >>44517852 #
5. IshKebab ◴[10 Jul 25 06:17 UTC] No.44517852{3}[source]▶
"Donation". Let's call it what it is - a subscription.
replies(1): >>44518423 #
6. 0points ◴[10 Jul 25 08:47 UTC] No.44518781[source]▶
So just 8 or 9 steps to grab a e-book, instead of just letting the LLM recall it from training data... /s
7. stavros ◴[10 Jul 25 10:48 UTC] No.44519513[source]▶
You can just go on the website, search for the book you want, and download it. I'd think this is pretty obvious, as if you visit https://annas-archive.org, there are multiple search boxes there that lead directly to downloads.