Koskamo

NARA Catalog MCP

An independent MCP server for genealogical research in the US National Archives Catalog. It allows users to search records, read OCR text and citizen transcriptions, browse the hierarchy, and download page images. It also searches NARA's Access to Archival Databases (AAD), including the NUMIDENT's Social Security applications and deaths, WWII Army enlistment cards, and ship passenger lists. The server is read-only except for downloading page images to local disk.

Package and access

Local package with source-attributed installation metadata. Koskamo does not execute packages during review.

NARA Catalog MCP logo, by iandersoCommunity listingLocal stdioSource reviewed; not executedPublished by ianderso
Vendor documentation

What you can do with it

  • Search for ancestor pension files, service records, or census pages
  • Read OCR text and citizen transcriptions from archival records
  • Browse the hierarchy of records from record group to item
  • Download page images for citation in genealogical research

Source and maintenance

Community listingRegistry 1.1.0MIT
mcp-registry: io.github.ianderso/nara-catalog-mcp@1.1.0Source repository
Last repository push
Latest release
v1.1.0
Maintenance checked

Packages and installation

Source-provided package data. Koskamo has not executed or live-probed this package.

nara-catalog-mcp 1.1.0

pypiuvx
nara-catalog-mcp package definition
{
  "version": "1.1.0",
  "transport": "stdio",
  "identifier": "nara-catalog-mcp",
  "runtimeHint": "uvx",
  "registryType": "pypi",
  "registryBaseUrl": "https://pypi.org",
  "environmentVariables": [
    {
      "name": "NARA_API_KEY",
      "isRequired": true,
      "description": "Catalog API key, requested from the National Archives Catalog API team."
    },
    {
      "name": "NARA_CACHE_DIR",
      "default": "~/.cache/nara-catalog-mcp",
      "description": "Directory for the on-disk response cache."
    },
    {
      "name": "NARA_TIMEOUT",
      "default": "60",
      "description": "HTTP timeout in seconds."
    },
    {
      "name": "NARA_MONTHLY_CALL_BUDGET",
      "default": "10000",
      "description": "Calls per month the key allows, reported by api_budget."
    }
  ]
}

Tools

Reported by the attributed source; not independently observed by Koskamo.

No tool definitions available.

Maintenance history

Public check and source-refresh events. Editorial and ownership records remain private.

  • · repository · passed · metadata changed · updated
  • · backfill · recorded · Pre-expansion baseline; unobserved rich metadata remains unknown

Connect from your client

Each snippet configures the same source-provided package; replace placeholders before use.

This server is operated by the named third party. Listing and endpoint checks are not an endorsement or a security audit. Review the operator's permissions, terms, and data handling before connecting. How listings are checked and corrected.

Cursor

Merge this local stdio configuration, replace every placeholder environment value, and restart Cursor. Koskamo has not executed this package.
Cursor configuration
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "nara-catalog-mcp": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "nara-catalog-mcp==1.1.0"
      ],
      "env": {
        "NARA_API_KEY": "<YOUR_NARA_API_KEY>",
        "NARA_CACHE_DIR": "<YOUR_NARA_CACHE_DIR>",
        "NARA_TIMEOUT": "<YOUR_NARA_TIMEOUT>",
        "NARA_MONTHLY_CALL_BUDGET": "<YOUR_NARA_MONTHLY_CALL_BUDGET>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Cline

Merge this local stdio configuration, replace every placeholder environment value, and restart Cline. Koskamo has not executed this package.
Cline configuration
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "nara-catalog-mcp": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "nara-catalog-mcp==1.1.0"
      ],
      "env": {
        "NARA_API_KEY": "<YOUR_NARA_API_KEY>",
        "NARA_CACHE_DIR": "<YOUR_NARA_CACHE_DIR>",
        "NARA_TIMEOUT": "<YOUR_NARA_TIMEOUT>",
        "NARA_MONTHLY_CALL_BUDGET": "<YOUR_NARA_MONTHLY_CALL_BUDGET>"
      }
    }
  }
}

VS Code

Merge this local stdio configuration, replace every placeholder environment value, and restart VS Code. Koskamo has not executed this package.
VS Code configuration
{
  "servers": {
    "nara-catalog-mcp": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "nara-catalog-mcp==1.1.0"
      ],
      "env": {
        "NARA_API_KEY": "<YOUR_NARA_API_KEY>",
        "NARA_CACHE_DIR": "<YOUR_NARA_CACHE_DIR>",
        "NARA_TIMEOUT": "<YOUR_NARA_TIMEOUT>",
        "NARA_MONTHLY_CALL_BUDGET": "<YOUR_NARA_MONTHLY_CALL_BUDGET>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Claude Desktop

Merge this local stdio configuration, replace every placeholder environment value, and restart Claude Desktop. Koskamo has not executed this package.
Claude Desktop configuration
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "nara-catalog-mcp": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "nara-catalog-mcp==1.1.0"
      ],
      "env": {
        "NARA_API_KEY": "<YOUR_NARA_API_KEY>",
        "NARA_CACHE_DIR": "<YOUR_NARA_CACHE_DIR>",
        "NARA_TIMEOUT": "<YOUR_NARA_TIMEOUT>",
        "NARA_MONTHLY_CALL_BUDGET": "<YOUR_NARA_MONTHLY_CALL_BUDGET>"
      }
    }
  }
}

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