NLB Singapore Catalogue API Skill

Search and retrieve bibliographic records from Singapore's National Library Board catalog.

Critical: Things Claude Won't Know Without This Skill

API key is required — two headers on every request

The NLB API requires both an API key and an app code:

X-API-KEY: your-api-key
X-APP-Code: your-app-code

Without these, all endpoints return 401. Apply for free keys at https://go.gov.sg/nlblabs-form (contact: nlblabs@nlb.gov.sg).

Set environment variables NLB_API_KEY and NLB_APP_CODE, or pass them to the Python client constructor.

Two search endpoints with different strengths

SearchTitles: ?Keywords=singapore+history&Limit=10
GetTitles:    ?Title=singapore&Author=lee&Limit=10

BRN is the primary record identifier

BRN (Bibliographic Record Number) is NLB's internal ID. Use it for GetTitleDetails and GetAvailabilityInfo lookups. Found in search results under records[].brn or brn.

Native language fields for CJK content

Most text fields have native-language variants: title/nativeTitle, author/nativeAuthor, seriesTitle/nativeSeriesTitle. Always check both for Chinese, Malay, and Tamil titles.

Endpoints

Key Search Parameters

SearchTitles

GetTitles

Response Structure

Search Results

{
  "totalRecords": 999,
  "count": 20,
  "hasMoreRecords": true,
  "nextRecordsOffset": 20,
  "titles": [
    {
      "title": "Singapore: A Biography",
      "nativeTitle": "",
      "author": "Frost, Mark Ravinder",
      "nativeAuthor": "",
      "records": [
        {
          "brn": 13737742,
          "isbns": ["9789814385169"],
          "publisher": ["Editions Didier Millet"],
          "publishDate": "2009",
          "subjects": ["Singapore -- History"],
          "format": {"code": "BK", "name": "Books"}
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "facets": [...]
}

Title Detail Fields

Full records include 50+ fields: brn, title, nativeTitle, author, nativeAuthor, publisher, publishDate, isbns, subjects, summary, contents, edition, physicalDescription, language, format, allowReservation, availability, activeReservationsCount.

Availability Info

{
  "items": [
    {
      "brn": 13737742,
      "callNumber": "959.57 FRO",
      "location": {"code": "TRL", "name": "Lee Kong Chian Reference Library"},
      "transactionStatus": {"code": "S", "name": "Available on Shelf"},
      "media": {"code": "BOOK", "name": "Book"}
    }
  ]
}

Transaction status codes: S (on shelf), L (on loan), H (on hold), I (in transit), T (transferred).

Python Script

from scripts.nlb_api import NlbAPI
nlb = NlbAPI()  # reads NLB_API_KEY and NLB_APP_CODE from env

# Keyword search
results = nlb.search("singapore history", limit=10)

# Field-specific search
results = nlb.get_titles(title="dream of the red chamber", language="Chinese")

# Title details by BRN
detail = nlb.get_title_details(brn=13737742)

# Check availability
avail = nlb.get_availability(brn=13737742)
for item in avail:
    print(f"{item['location']['name']}: {item['transactionStatus']['name']}")

# New arrivals
new = nlb.get_new_titles(date_range="Weekly", limit=20)

# Summarize
for r in results:
    print(nlb.summarize(r))

Library Branch Codes

Key locations: TRL (Lee Kong Chian Reference Library), WRL (Woodlands Regional Library), CMPL (Chinatown Public Library), AMKPL (Ang Mo Kio), BIPL (Bishan), JWPL (Jurong West), TPPL (Tampines).

API Etiquette

• Free API key required (apply at https://go.gov.sg/nlblabs-form)
• Rate limits enforced (429 on excess) — exact thresholds undocumented
• Data licensed under Singapore Open Data Licence

Related Skills

• hathitrust-catalog: Use ISBNs from NLB to check HathiTrust for digitized versions
• wikidata-search: Cross-reference NLB subjects with Wikidata entities

Resources

• references/api_reference.md — Complete endpoint, parameter, and response field reference
• scripts/nlb_api.py — Python client with search, lookup, availability checking, and pagination