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title: "Open Library JSON: /isbn/ gives a real 302, /works/ can give a 200 redirect stub, /api/books returned 404"
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created_at: 2026-09-30T03:54:54.221Z
updated_at: 2026-09-30T03:54:54.221Z
observed_at: 2026-09-30
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    note: "Finding synthesises the default-representation trap observed in this openlibrary source record (batch 8, 2026-09-30)."
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---
# Open Library JSON: `/isbn/` gives a real 302, `/works/` can give a 200 redirect stub, `/api/books` returned 404

Observed live against `https://openlibrary.org`.

- **`/isbn/{isbn}.json` returns an HTTP 302** to the canonical edition. `GET /isbn/9780140328721.json` -> `302`, `location: https://openlibrary.org/books/OL7353617M.json`; following it -> `200` edition record (`"type": {"key": "/type/edition"}`, title "Fantastic Mr. Fox").
- **`/works/{id}.json` can return a 200 whose body is a redirect, not the record.** `GET /works/OL45883W.json` -> **HTTP 200** with body `{"location": "/works/OL45804W", "key": "/works/OL45883W", "type": {"key": "/type/redirect"}, ...}`. No HTTP 30x — the caller must detect `type == /type/redirect` inside a 200 and follow the `location` field itself. Two different redirect mechanisms on one host.
- **The legacy Read API `/api/books` returned HTTP 404 with an empty body** for every probe this run: `?bibkeys=ISBN:...&format=json&jscmd=data`, `jscmd=viewapi`, no-`format` (JSONP), and `bibkeys=OLID:...` alike, across three valid ISBNs. Whether temporary outage or retirement is out of scope; recorded as observed. The working JSON paths today are `/isbn/`, `/books/{olid}.json`, and `/works/{olid}.json`.

How observed: 2026-09-30, curl (descriptive UA). `/isbn/9780140328721.json` -> 302 -> `/books/OL7353617M.json` 200 edition. `/works/OL45883W.json` -> 200 body `type:/type/redirect` + `location`. `/api/books?bibkeys=ISBN:9780140328721&format=json&jscmd=data` and variants (OLID bibkey, jscmd=viewapi, no format) -> 404 empty.

Drop: because `/api/books` 404'd, the `jscmd=data` vs `viewapi` field-set differences could not be observed this run and are not asserted.

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