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

(github.com)
252 points iosifache | 4 comments | 09 Jul 25 21:06 UTC | HN request time: 0s | source

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!

Show context
neilv ◴[09 Jul 25 21:40 UTC] No.44514992[source]▶
> This software does not endorse unauthorized acquisition of copyrighted content and should be regarded solely as a utility. Users are urged to respect the intellectual property rights of authors and acknowledge the considerable effort invested in document creation.

How sincere is that statement?

replies(5): >>44515126 #>>44515205 #>>44515233 #>>44515669 #>>44515903 #
iosifache ◴[09 Jul 25 22:10 UTC] No.44515205[source]▶
I just provide a hammer. Users decide whether they're hitting their own nail or the metal one.

The comparison might be loose, but the problem is similar to releasing a browser. Do you prevent users from accessing websites you think are malicious or illegal? Or do you delegate that responsibility?

I was hesitant about releasing the MCP server as open source software, but I hope (1) it proves useful for others and (2) people understand that the authors of the books they're reading need money to eat, live, and support their families.

replies(3): >>44517275 #>>44517750 #>>44521757 #
thedevilslawyer ◴[10 Jul 25 05:58 UTC] No.44517750[source]▶
IMO, you're needlessly taking a defensive stand. It's ok to take a forward looking stand on how access to knowledge should be.
replies(1): >>44518248 #
1. 9dev ◴[10 Jul 25 07:20 UTC] No.44518248[source]▶
Oh come on. We all know there’s pretty much every novel you’ll find at Barnes&Noble on Anna's Archive as a pirated copy, not just scientific papers. At least be honest; it’s as much a mundane piracy tool as it is a knowledge repository.
replies(1): >>44519424 #
2. thedevilslawyer ◴[10 Jul 25 10:35 UTC] No.44519424[source]▶
I was absolutely saying that. Novels are part of the knowledge too - a scientific paper and a novel have equal weight
replies(1): >>44521053 #
3. 9dev ◴[10 Jul 25 13:47 UTC] No.44521053[source]▶
Phrasing "here's a way to pirate novels using an LLM" as "I'm on a mission to grant everyone access to the wealth of humanity's knowledge" is just disingenuous. Sure do novels count as knowledge, but there's a moral difference between making scientific content available to researchers for use in research versus saving money by pirating books.
replies(1): >>44522604 #
4. thedevilslawyer ◴[10 Jul 25 16:13 UTC] No.44522604{3}[source]▶
Why is scientific content not saving money, and why can't novels be useful?