MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - Proposal for an OpenClaw Skill: Automated Library Procurement

lpassey · 02-23-2026, 07:20 PM

I’ve been looking into using OpenClaw as a local orchestration layer to solve a specific "human-in-the-loop" frustration: automated library book procurement.

’m proposing a "Digital Librarian" skill that handles the tedious gap between "Book on Hold" and "Book on Device."

The Workflow:

Poll State: A timed job to check library hold status (e.g., via an Overdrive/Libby API wrapper).
Trigger Action: If "Available," fetch the .acsm file.
Local Execution: Pass the file to a local Calibre instance (using calibredb or a plugin) to fulfill the download and handle format conversion/DRM removal.
Distribution (If desired): Move the finalized file to a NextCloud directory for immediate sync to mobile readers (CoolReader/KOReader).

Why OpenClaw?
This requires local file-system permissions and specific software (Calibre) that cloud-based RAG layers shouldn't—and can't—access. It’s a purely "Process Management" task where AI is only needed if the user wants to ask, "Why hasn't my hold processed yet?" or "Summarize the reviews of the book I just checked out."
I’ve got the architecture in mind but too many other rabbit holes to climb out of. If anyone is looking for a high-utility, non-trivial skill to build for the OpenClaw ecosystem, this is a prime candidate.

02-23-2026, 07:20 PM	#1
lpassey Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2026 Device: CoolReader	Proposal for an OpenClaw Skill: Automated Library Procurement I’ve been looking into using OpenClaw as a local orchestration layer to solve a specific "human-in-the-loop" frustration: automated library book procurement. ’m proposing a "Digital Librarian" skill that handles the tedious gap between "Book on Hold" and "Book on Device." The Workflow: Poll State: A timed job to check library hold status (e.g., via an Overdrive/Libby API wrapper). Trigger Action: If "Available," fetch the .acsm file. Local Execution: Pass the file to a local Calibre instance (using calibredb or a plugin) to fulfill the download and handle format conversion/DRM removal. Distribution (If desired): Move the finalized file to a NextCloud directory for immediate sync to mobile readers (CoolReader/KOReader). Why OpenClaw? This requires local file-system permissions and specific software (Calibre) that cloud-based RAG layers shouldn't—and can't—access. It’s a purely "Process Management" task where AI is only needed if the user wants to ask, "Why hasn't my hold processed yet?" or "Summarize the reviews of the book I just checked out." I’ve got the architecture in mind but too many other rabbit holes to climb out of. If anyone is looking for a high-utility, non-trivial skill to build for the OpenClaw ecosystem, this is a prime candidate.