MCP Server

An MCP server that provides access to the DBLP computer science bibliography for LLMs.

Local serverstdioPython

What is the MCP MCP server?

Connect MCP to Claude, Cursor or any other MCP client and it stops being a tab you switch to. An MCP server that provides access to the DBLP computer science bibliography for LLMs. The mcp mcp server is what makes that connection.

What the server does

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides access to the DBLP computer science bibliography database for Large Language Models (accompanying paper accepted to AI4SC @ AAAI-26).

The MCP-DBLP integrates the DBLP (Digital Bibliography & Library Project) API with LLMs through the Model Context Protocol, enabling AI models to:

  • Comprehensive search capabilities with boolean queries
  • Fuzzy title and author name matching
  • BibTeX entry retrieval directly from DBLP
  • Publication filtering by year and venue
  • Statistical analysis of publication data
  • Direct BibTeX export capability that bypasses LLM processing for maximum accuracy

Available tools

The toolset is worth reading before you wire it up, because it tells you what the integration is really for:

  • get_instructions — Get usage instructions and workflow guidance
  • search — Search DBLP for publications using boolean queries
  • fuzzy_title_search — Search publications with fuzzy title matching
  • get_author_publications — Retrieve publications for a specific author
  • get_venue_info — Get detailed information about a publication venue
  • add_bibtex_entry — Add a BibTeX entry to collection by DBLP key
  • export_bibtex — Export all collected BibTeX entries to a .bib file

Installation

Installation goes through your MCP client rather than a global install: point it at mcp-dblp on PyPI and it is fetched when the client starts. The copy-paste blocks for Claude Desktop, Claude Code and Cursor are further down this page.

Where it fits

This sits in the AI and media services group, where several servers overlap in what they claim to do but differ sharply once you actually set them up. MCP's toolset — get_instructions, search, fuzzy_title_search and 4 more — is a fair guide to whether it matches your workflow.

This entry was verified against MCP's own documentation before publication; SyncDev keeps the directory reviewed rather than auto-generated.

Worth knowing first

  • It runs with your machine's permissions. That is convenient and also the reason to think about what you point it at before you approve a tool call.
  • Keep per-call confirmation enabled while you learn its behaviour; it is the cheapest safeguard you have.

Available tools

ToolWhat it does
get_instructionsGet usage instructions and workflow guidance
searchSearch DBLP for publications using boolean queries
fuzzy_title_searchSearch publications with fuzzy title matching
get_author_publicationsRetrieve publications for a specific author
get_venue_infoGet detailed information about a publication venue
add_bibtex_entryAdd a BibTeX entry to collection by DBLP key
export_bibtexExport all collected BibTeX entries to a .bib file

How to install the MCP MCP server

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-dblp": {
      "command": "uv",
      "args": ["--directory", "/path/to/mcp-dblp/", "run", "mcp-dblp"]
    }
  }
}

Configuration as documented by the project. Restart the client after saving.

Example prompts to try

  • Use MCP to get instructions.
  • Use MCP to search.
  • Use MCP to fuzzy title search.

Frequently asked questions

It connects MCP to MCP-compatible AI assistants such as Claude and Cursor, exposing 7 tools (get_instructions, search, fuzzy_title_search, and more) that the assistant can call on your behalf. Instead of copying data back and forth by hand, the assistant works with MCP directly.