Source Library MCP MCP server

Provides direct access to over 15,000 rare pre-modern texts translated to English. It enables semantic search, full-text search, bulk reading, and citation retrieval for AI agents, supporting research into philosophy, religion, science, and literature without requiring authentication for basic access.

Endpoint and access

No sign-in: your client connects and lists tools immediately, with no account or key.

No sign-inEndpoint checked 2026-10-05Operated by Source Library

MCP endpoint (Streamable HTTP)

https://sourcelibrary.org/api/mcp

Vendor documentation

What you can do with it

Search for specific concepts across translated pre-modern texts
Retrieve exact passages with page citations and DOI-backed references
Browse books by language, year, or category
Perform semantic searches for paraphrased ideas

Tools advertised by the last live check:

search_library
search_translations
search_concept
search_within_book
list_books
get_book
get_book_text
get_quote
list_editions
get_quotes
search_images
submit_feedback
share_findings
propose_collection
get_locus

Connect from your client

Each snippet registers the same endpoint; pick the client you 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.

Claude Code

Run this once in a terminal. It registers a Streamable HTTP server. Use --scope project to write .mcp.json for the repo.

Claude Code configuration

claude mcp add --transport http source-library-mcp https://sourcelibrary.org/api/mcp

Codex

Run this once. Codex stores MCP servers in ~/.codex/config.toml (or .codex/config.toml in a trusted project).

Codex configuration

codex mcp add source-library-mcp --url https://sourcelibrary.org/api/mcp

Cursor

Merge this server into .cursor/mcp.json in your project, then enable source-library-mcp in your MCP settings.

Cursor configuration

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "source-library-mcp": {
      "url": "https://sourcelibrary.org/api/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Cline

Merge this into cline_mcp_settings.json (Cline → MCP Servers → Configure). The type must be streamableHttp for a remote HTTP server.

Cline configuration

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "source-library-mcp": {
      "type": "streamableHttp",
      "url": "https://sourcelibrary.org/api/mcp",
      "disabled": false
    }
  }
}

VS Code

Merge this server into .vscode/mcp.json. Use MCP: List Servers to start source-library-mcp and inspect its tools.

VS Code configuration

{
  "servers": {
    "source-library-mcp": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://sourcelibrary.org/api/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Gemini CLI

Run this once. It writes .gemini/settings.json in the current project; pass --scope user for ~/.gemini/settings.json.

Gemini CLI configuration

gemini mcp add --transport http source-library-mcp https://sourcelibrary.org/api/mcp

Claude Desktop

Merge this into claude_desktop_config.json (macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/, Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\), then restart Claude Desktop.

Claude Desktop configuration

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "source-library-mcp": {
      "url": "https://sourcelibrary.org/api/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Windsurf

Merge this into ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json, then refresh MCP in Cascade. Windsurf remote servers use serverUrl, not url.

Windsurf configuration

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "source-library-mcp": {
      "serverUrl": "https://sourcelibrary.org/api/mcp"
    }
  }
}

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