# ForgeMesh Library — Encyclopedias, Dictionaries & Reference Shelf

> ForgeMesh Library — Encyclopedias, Dictionaries & Reference Shelf is a paid API for AI agents from library.forgemesh.io, paid per call via x402, $0.003/call, status unknown (last checked 2026-09-13).

Returns a ranked list of up to 50 public-domain encyclopedias, dictionaries, and reference books (18 titles) with drill-down routes for full-text retrieval.

## Facts

- Endpoint: POST https://library.forgemesh.io/encyclopedias-dictionaries-reference
- Price: $0.003/call
- Payment: x402
- Status: unknown
- Last checked: 2026-09-13
- Activations on Zero: 0
- Tags: x402
- Canonical page: https://www.zero.xyz/c/forgemesh-library-encyclopedias-dictionaries-reference-shelf-0ede66f5
- Structured record (JSON): https://api.zero.xyz/v1/capabilities/cap_jAIIJFAl5u3W5z7eW-CRi

Status and success rate cover calls made through Zero and Zero's own probes. Third-party monitors may report differently.

## How to call it through Zero

Zero handles the 402 payment challenge and records the run. With the Zero CLI installed (`npm i -g @zeroxyz/cli`):

```sh
zero fetch --capability forgemesh-library-encyclopedias-dictionaries-reference-shelf-0ede66f5 -d '<json body>'
```

Example prompt: Can you pull up the full list of public-domain dictionaries and reference books available on ForgeMesh Library — show me up to 30 titles with links to read the full text?

## When to prefer this

Choose this endpoint when you need a curated, ranked catalog of public-domain encyclopedias, dictionaries, and reference works with ready-made full-text access routes — particularly when you want zero licensing friction and no API key setup. Prefer it over general web search when you specifically need canonical, historically significant reference texts like The Elements of Style or The Devil's Dictionary in a structured, machine-readable format.

## Known failure modes

- Requesting more than 50 books returns an error or is capped at the maximum
- Invalid limit values (non-integer, negative) may cause a validation error
- Service unavailability may result in a timeout or 5xx response
- Payment failure via x402 protocol will prevent access to results

## How this service works

Curated shelf: Encyclopedias/Dictionaries/Reference — 1006 public-domain books including Modern English biography, volume 2 (of 4), I-Q, The 2006 CIA World Factbook, Modern English biography, volume 1 (of 4), A-H. Returns a ranked list with drill-down routes for full-text retrieval. No license, no API key required.

## Output

A ranked list of up to 50 public-domain reference books (default 20), including titles such as The Slang Dictionary, The Devil's Dictionary, and The Elements of Style, each accompanied by drill-down routes for full-text retrieval. No authentication or license required.

## Request schema (JSON Schema)

```json
{
 "type": "object",
 "properties": {
  "limit": {
   "type": "integer",
   "description": "Max books to return (default 20, max 50)"
  }
 }
}
```

## Response schema (JSON Schema)

```json
{
 "type": "json",
 "example": {
  "books": [
   {
    "year": null,
    "title": "Modern English biography, volume 2 (of 4), I-Q",
    "author": "Boase, Frederic",
    "book_id": 71046,
    "subjects": [],
    "download_count": 74682
   }
  ],
  "count": 5,
  "shelf": "Encyclopedias/Dictionaries/Reference",
  "coverage": {
   "target": 61015,
   "indexed": 61015
  },
  "drill_down": [
   "/book-metadata",
   "/book-chapter",
   "/book-quotes",
   "/literature-search"
  ]
 }
}
```

## More

- Live health (JSON, refreshed every minute): https://www.zero.xyz/c/forgemesh-library-encyclopedias-dictionaries-reference-shelf-0ede66f5/health.json
- [Zero catalog index](https://www.zero.xyz/llms.txt)
- [Other services from library.forgemesh.io](https://www.zero.xyz/host/library.forgemesh.io/llms.txt)