Source MCP Server

Search rare historical texts with OCR, translations & DOI citations.

Local serverstdioTypeScript

What is the Source MCP server?

Search rare historical texts with OCR, translations & DOI citations. The source mcp server wraps that behind the Model Context Protocol, so an assistant can use it through 5 defined tools rather than through you.

What it actually does

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Its toolset

Everything the assistant can do here goes through one of these:

  • Endpoint — Method
  • Approach — Example
  • curl — The curl tool exposed by this server
  • Postman — 1. Create a new GET request. 2. Set URL to e.g. https://sourcelibrary.org/api/embed/bph/books 3. On the Params tab add query keys: limit =
  • Browser — The Browser tool exposed by this server

Configuration

You will need 8 environment variables: NEXTAUTH_SECRET, GOOGLE_API_KEY, VERCEL_BLOB_TOKEN, AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID, AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY, STRIPE_SECRET_KEY, ZENODO_TOKEN, SUPABASE_URL. The server will not start without them, which is usually why the tools fail to appear on a first run. Keep credentials in your client's env block or a secrets manager rather than in a file you might commit.

Adding it to your client

The server ships on npm as tsc, so your MCP client can launch it on demand — there is no separate build step. Add the server block to your client's configuration, restart it, and the tools register themselves.

When to reach for it

Among the browser automation options, the useful question is rarely "what can it do" but "what does it cost you to run" — permissions, credentials, and how much of your context its toolset consumes. Source's toolset — Endpoint, Approach, curl and 2 more — is a fair guide to whether it matches your workflow. It is maintained by Embassy-of-the-Free-Mind; worth a glance at recent repository activity before you build anything load-bearing on it.

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

Caveats

  • 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.
  • Missing credentials fail quietly in some clients — if no tools show up, check the environment block first.
  • MCP clients confirm each tool call by default. Leave that on until you have watched what the source mcp server does with a few real requests.

Available tools

ToolWhat it does
EndpointMethod
ApproachExample
curlThe curl tool exposed by this server.
Postman1. Create a new **GET** request. 2. Set URL to e.g. https://sourcelibrary.org/api/embed/bph/books 3. On the **Params** tab add query keys: limit = 24, sort = title, translated = true 4. Leave **Auth** as *No Auth* for th
BrowserThe Browser tool exposed by this server.

How to install the Source MCP server

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "source-library": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "tsc"],
      "env": {
        "NEXTAUTH_SECRET": "your-value",
        "GOOGLE_API_KEY": "your-value",
        "VERCEL_BLOB_TOKEN": "your-value",
        "AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID": "your-value",
        "AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY": "your-value",
        "STRIPE_SECRET_KEY": "your-value",
        "ZENODO_TOKEN": "your-value",
        "SUPABASE_URL": "your-value"
      }
    }
  }
}

Add to claude_desktop_config.json, then restart Claude Desktop.

Configuration

VariableDescriptionRequired
NEXTAUTH_SECRETCredential the server authenticates with.Yes
GOOGLE_API_KEYCredential the server authenticates with.Yes
VERCEL_BLOB_TOKENCredential the server authenticates with.Yes
AWS_ACCESS_KEY_IDCredential the server authenticates with.Yes
AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEYCredential the server authenticates with.Yes
STRIPE_SECRET_KEYCredential the server authenticates with.Yes
ZENODO_TOKENCredential the server authenticates with.Yes
SUPABASE_URLEndpoint or connection string the server talks to.Yes

Example prompts to try

  • Use Source to Endpoint.
  • Use Source to Approach.
  • Use Source to curl.

Frequently asked questions

It connects Source to MCP-compatible AI assistants such as Claude and Cursor, exposing 5 tools (Endpoint, Approach, curl, and more) that the assistant can call on your behalf. Instead of copying data back and forth by hand, the assistant works with Source directly.