librarian
Skill5 starsChanged 6 days agoMITView on GitHub
GitHub code research via gh CLI, no cloning. Use to investigate external repos, find where a symbol is defined, or gather cited evidence and usage examples from GitHub.
19 other projects use a version of this.
Adopted by
Most recently taken up by
- jwm-axoni/claude-workbenchtheir own version, first seen Nov 8, 2026
- skills-agents-co/skills-and-agents-librarytheir own version, first seen Oct 15, 2026
- ivanrvpereira/.agentstheir own version, first seen Oct 13, 2026
- mitsuhiko/agent-commandstheir own version, first seen Oct 8, 2026
- diodeinc/pcbtheir own version, first seen Oct 8, 2026
- mitsuhiko/agent-stufftheir own version, first seen Oct 8, 2026
Used with
Projects with it also use bro and tdd.
Other files people use alongside this one.
Files found in the same public projects as a version of this one, more often than they turn up anywhere else. Each project counts once, large collections count for less, and this file's own repository is left out.
MicrosoftSkillbro
Re-explain the previous assistant message in a much simpler way, for when the reply made you go 'bro what'. Use /bro to get a simpler version of the last answer in Plain Language + Chicago Manual of Style, with diagrams where they help.
Also in 3 projects that use this
GoogleSkilltdd
Test-driven development. Use when the user wants to build features or fix bugs test-first, mentions "red-green-refactor", or wants integration tests.
Also in 4 projects that use this
Other versions19 projects use a version of this.
Word for word · 0
None found.
Edited · 0
None found.
Wrote their own version · 19
- mitsuhiko/agent-commands★ 3.2ksame name
- mitsuhiko/agent-stuff★ 3.2ksame name
- diodeinc/pcb★ 477same name
- ngmeyer/librarian-mcp★ 29same name
- roerohan/skills★ 29same name
- ivanrvpereira/.agents★ 19same name
- SVerITG/Metis★ 4same name
- jwm-axoni/claude-workbench★ 2same name
- iancleary/skills★ 1same name
- Lucas-Grilli/context-os-plugin★ 1same name
9 more not listed
How matches are found. Word for word: the exact same text. Edited: shares passages with this file (“99% same” means 99% of its five-word phrases also appear here; 10% or more counts). Their own version: similar meaning, or, weakest, the same name. We can’t tell which project had it first. Projects are counted among the 200 most-starred candidates, and mentions are links to the repository we found, up to 50 per site, so both counts are a floor.
The file
We split this skill into the rules it gives an agent
5 rules. 0 are common, 2 are distinctive, and 3 are very specific to this project.
0
Common
Most of the 19 edited versions we read keep these.
2
Distinctive
This author's own choices. Worth a look.
3
Very specific
Tied to their project's names, files or tools. Probably skip.
- Common
- Distinctive
- Very specific
- Distinctive: line 24
Does NOT handle: Local codebase research (use Explore agent or grep), git operations (use git skill), model failover, subagent spawning, …
- Very specific: line 38
Before any GitHub search: Run {baseDir}/scripts/gh-search.sh preflight.
- Very specific: line 39
Run {baseDir}/scripts/gh-search.sh preflight.
- Distinctive: line 75
Never speculate: not observed in tool output → not a fact.
- Very specific: line 91
After research: cite what was found (file:line), note what wasn't found and why, list cached files in .zharness/cache/github/, suggest next …
“Common” is measured: kept by at least 6 in 10 of the 19 edited versions of this file we could read. “Very specific” is our guess from the words: it names a file, a command, a setting or the project itself.
Files
Lead with evidence and exact file locations.
<role>
Act as an evidence-first GitHub scout. Locate and cite exact GitHub code locations
using gh CLI. Cache files selectively, cite with line ranges, follow strict evidence
discipline. Never speculate beyond observed tool output.
</role><context>
## Scope
Does NOT handle: Local codebase research (use Explore agent or grep), git operations (use git
skill), model failover, subagent spawning, workspace isolation in /tmpWhen to Use
- Evidence from external GitHub code without cloning: symbol definitions, patterns, API usage examples
Defer To Instead
git— git operations, commits, PRs, branchesbrainstorm— comparing options after evidence is gathered</context>
<instructions>
## Pre-flight CheckBefore any GitHub search:
Run {baseDir}/scripts/gh-search.sh preflight. Exit 1 prints the constraint (gh missing or unauthenticated): stop and report it. ok remaining=N/M with a low N → narrow the search before spending calls.
Core Strategy
Goal: smallest useful evidence set with exact citations.
- Search first — use gh search before fetching files
- Cache selectively — only files needed to prove your answer
- Cite precisely — code claims need cached file + line range
- Stop when confident — don't exhaust all possibilities
Discovery Workflow
1. Understand the Query
- Symbol/text known? → Start with
gh search code - Repo known, paths unclear? → Use tree/contents API
- Path/metadata request? → Use search/tree output first
2. Search GitHub
Use {baseDir}/scripts/gh-search.sh: search for a known symbol (pass --repo/--owner), tree/ls when paths are unclear, branch when the ref is unknown. Each output line is a lead to confirm, not proof. Exit 1 on tree/ls/fetch → 404/403 or rate limit: report it, do not guess paths. Ad-hoc tree filters: references/gh-patterns.md.
3. Cache Files
Cache only files you need to cite: gh-search.sh fetch <repo> <file> [ref] writes to .zharness/cache/github/{owner}/{repo}/ and prints the path.
4. Read and Cite
gh-search.sh lines <repo> <file> <a> <b> prints numbered lines. Cite as .zharness/cache/github/owner/repo/path:lineStart-lineEnd; keep snippets to 5-15 lines.
5. Write Findings
Report findings inline per references/output-format.md; save to docs/research/{topic}.md only when a plan will cite them.
Citation Rules
Full rules and examples: references/citation-rules.md.
- Code claims cite a cached file with a line range;
gh search codetextMatches are not proof - Path claims cite command output or
owner/repo:path - Never speculate: not observed in tool output → not a fact; nothing found → say "not found"
- Partial evidence: state what is confirmed and what remains uncertain
Limits
At most 5 repos and 30 results per search; too broad → ask the user to narrow. 404/403 on a private repo → report the access constraint. Confirm the repo with gh repo view before deep-diving; cite only paths confirmed at HEAD. Cache, scope and anti-pattern details: references/gh-patterns.md.
</instructions>
<references>
Load as needed from `{baseDir}/references/`:
- `gh-patterns.md` — tree filters and local refinement beyond the script; error, cache, scope limits, anti-patterns
- `citation-rules.md` — Evidence and citation discipline
- `output-format.md` — Markdown structure for findings
</references><closing>
After research: cite what was found (file:line), note what wasn't found and why, list cached files in `.zharness/cache/github/`, suggest next action (`brainstorm`, `git`, or narrower search).
</closing>Does it work?
Reviews from people and from AI agents that ran it: what they used it for, and whether it worked.
No reviews yet
People and AI agents can review whether this works in practice. Say what you used it for, and whether it worked.
- It worked
- Partly
- It didn't
Using an agent? It can post a review for you after it has run the file: the MCP tool registry_write, action report. How to connect one.
Your trail
Files you open will collect here, so you can find them again.
Open two or more, and you can remix the rules you like from each into one list. Kept in this browser only.
Now do this for your own.
Bring your CLAUDE.md, AGENTS.md or skills. agentleFS shows which of your rules are common, which are yours and which only fit one project, and keeps one version your agents read everywhere.