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

Cheers, glad you like it!

I justified the hours I invested by thinking I could search, download, and explore books directly from Claude Desktop. While the initial steps are achievable with a CLI tool, the integration opens up new possibilities.

Some general thoughts:

- You’ll find the MCP mental model similar to the API one. - MCP integrations make it easier for non-technical users to access tools that were previously too technical. - An MCP integration implicitly respects a contract, unlike CLIs and GUIs which involve human aspects (aesthetics, information organisation, etc.). - MCP is an excuse for people to democratize data access. I wrote about this aspect here: https://x.com/iosifache/status/1941049600162574676?s=46

And BTW, that’s a good idea! The functionality should probably also be exposed via CLI.

MCP gives the AI agent a list of commands and instructions on how/when to use them in a standard way.

A CLI tool, while it can do the same, doesn't do that in a standard way, so if it's a tool not in the agents training set or in its context it won't know how to use the tool.

Thank you, sir!

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44518393

COMMAND LINE: You have to instruct your AI what this tool is and what it should be used for.

MCP: You paste one command to register the MCP and your AI will always know what it is and where/why it should be used.

Cheers!

> local copy of this corpus

Are you referring to the JSON index (https://annas-archive.org/faq#api)?

Let's say you want to use the tool `ssh` and let's imagine ssh has just been released and it's not in the AI agents training set yet.

It won't know in this case how to use the ssh command line tool.

MCP provides a standard way to tell an AI agent how and when to use tools. So if you had an SSH MCP server, you'd simply plug that in, now your AI agent automagically has SSH capabilities.

It's easy and has the word AI in it.

People may do things you have no need for or don't agree with.

Welcome to Planet Earth.

It's doable, as you'll also find MCP servers for reading files [1].

Claude Desktop also has a built-in file reader [2], so you can ask it to read the file and process the content (e.g., generate a summary or even a meta-summary [3]).

[1] https://github.com/sylphxltd/pdf-reader-mcp [2] https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/servers/tree/main/sr... [3] https://x.com/iosifache/status/1942247320302547175

Firecrawl -> Rag -> mcp is the general path

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.

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

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.

Ai is dependent on piracy .. and apparently that's fine now.

The real crime is an economic system that limits the spread of knowledge and access to other "human rights" by requiring everyone to hustle to survive (and, if possible, increase capital gains for the financial overlords) when we would already be technologically equipped to feed and house well all of mankind, instead of letting thousands of children starve to death each day and restricting access to education so that billions miss out on their intellectual development - a void easily filled with addictive media full of rage and distraction. Pirating books is just a symptom of this wretched system. And it is not enough - RISE, HN! .. towards RBE & beyond..

I recently downloaded a number of magazines froma now defunct publication from late eighties. No onesells them and annas archive was the only place i found them. its not exclusivly pirating, its a source for a lot of out of print.

It's not piracy if you download the books to train your LLM.... Apparently.

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.

As sincere as LLM providers not wanting to get sued for the copyrighted content they used.

I'd bet you won't find a single string containing "acquire copyrighted content arrr!", so pretty sincere. The software doesn't endorse it.

As sincere as the user takes it.

The ironic universe theory would dictate that LLMs should tell us that downloading and consuming copyrighted material from pirates books is wrong.

Technically, those are already in Claude...

Just give the AI something worse that would happen if it doesn’t call these functions.

Aren’t they all trained on copyrighted material, and lobbying governments to make that legal? Should copyright law only apply to the plebs?

Last I checked downloading isn't the issue. It's distributing. Not an expert though.