# ForgeMesh Library – How-To Shelf

> ForgeMesh Library – How-To Shelf is a paid API for AI agents from library.forgemesh.io, paid per call via x402, $0.003/call, status unknown (last checked 2026-09-15).

Returns a ranked list of up to 50 curated public-domain 'how-to' and etiquette books with drill-down routes for full-text retrieval

## Facts

- Endpoint: POST https://library.forgemesh.io/how-to
- Price: $0.003/call
- Payment: x402
- Status: unknown
- Last checked: 2026-09-15
- Activations on Zero: 0
- Tags: x402
- Canonical page: https://www.zero.xyz/c/forgemesh-library-how-to-shelf-dbae7d7f
- Structured record (JSON): https://api.zero.xyz/v1/capabilities/cap_zi0hqc8I4cz2Shtac6LS3

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-how-to-shelf-dbae7d7f -d '<json body>'
```

Example prompt: Can you pull up the full list of public-domain how-to and etiquette books on the ForgeMesh library shelf — give me up to 30 titles with links so I can browse them?

## When to prefer this

Choose this endpoint when you need a curated, ranked list of classic public-domain instructional or etiquette books (especially titles like Chess Fundamentals, Elements of Style, or Ladies' Book of Etiquette) and want direct drill-down links for full-text reading — no API key or license needed, just a $0.003 USDC micropayment.

## Known failure modes

- limit parameter exceeds 50 — likely returns an error or caps at 50
- limit set to 0 or negative — may return empty list or error
- service temporarily unavailable — HTTP 5xx response
- payment not processed — HTTP 402 requiring x402 micropayment of $0.003 USDC

## How this service works

Curated shelf: How To ... — 2208 public-domain books including Studies of American Fungi. Mushrooms, Edible, Poisonous, etc.. 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 how-to and etiquette book entries, each including title, author, and drill-down route(s) 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": "Studies of American Fungi. Mushrooms, Edible, Poisonous, etc.",
    "author": "Atkinson, George Francis",
    "book_id": 26492,
    "subjects": [],
    "download_count": 18806
   }
  ],
  "count": 5,
  "shelf": "How To ...",
  "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-how-to-shelf-dbae7d7f/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)