Source Library

by Embassy-of-the-Free-Mind

12 stars

180 downloads

Not rated

GitHub Website

About

Search and cite 500+ translated historical texts (alchemy, Hermeticism, Renaissance) with DOI-backed academic citations. Access rare Latin and German manuscripts from the 15th-18th centuries.

Details

Author: Embassy-of-the-Free-Mind
GitHub stars: 12
Downloads: 180
Categories: Search, Other, Knowledge Base, Developer Tools

- 12 tools for search, reading, quoting, and curation
- 22,000+ rare pre-modern texts with AI translations
- Semantic passage search using Gemini embeddings
- 50,000+ book illustrations plus 23,000+ artworks
- Citation URLs and DOIs for published editions
- Duplicate detection before importing books

Setting up with Highlight

This MCP is not yet compatible with Highlight’s one-click setup. However, you can still use it with Highlight by following these steps:

Download and install Highlight from highlightai.com/download
Navigate to the plugins tab and select "Add Custom Plugin"
Configure the plugin with the settings below

Plugin Name Source Library

Command (node, npx, python, etc.)

Please refer to the README for specific instructions on how to obtain API keys or other required environment variables.
Enable "Start Automatically" if you want the plugin to start when Highlight launches

Setting up with Cursor

Open Cursor's settings
Navigate to the MCP section
Click "Add new Global MCP server"
Copy and paste the configuration below based on your operating system

JSON

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "source library": {
            "source-library": {
                "command": "npx",
                "args": [
                    "-y",
                    "@source-library/mcp-server"
                ]
            }
        }
    }
}

JSON

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "source library": {
            "source-library": {
                "command": "npx",
                "args": [
                    "-y",
                    "@source-library/mcp-server"
                ]
            }
        }
    }
}

JSON

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "source library": {
            "source-library": {
                "command": "npx",
                "args": [
                    "-y",
                    "@source-library/mcp-server"
                ]
            }
        }
    }
}

Setting up with Claude Desktop

Open Claude Desktop's settings
Go to the Integrations tab
Click "Add MCP Server"
Use the configuration below based on your operating system

Note: Make sure Claude Desktop is running before attempting to connect.

JSON

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "source library": {
            "source-library": {
                "command": "npx",
                "args": [
                    "-y",
                    "@source-library/mcp-server"
                ]
            }
        }
    }
}

JSON

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "source library": {
            "source-library": {
                "command": "npx",
                "args": [
                    "-y",
                    "@source-library/mcp-server"
                ]
            }
        }
    }
}

JSON

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "source library": {
            "source-library": {
                "command": "npx",
                "args": [
                    "-y",
                    "@source-library/mcp-server"
                ]
            }
        }
    }
}

Setting up with Windsurf

Open Windsurf's preferences
Go to the Integrations section
Click "Add MCP Integration"
Use the configuration below based on your operating system

JSON

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "source library": {
            "source-library": {
                "command": "npx",
                "args": [
                    "-y",
                    "@source-library/mcp-server"
                ]
            }
        }
    }
}

JSON

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "source library": {
            "source-library": {
                "command": "npx",
                "args": [
                    "-y",
                    "@source-library/mcp-server"
                ]
            }
        }
    }
}

JSON

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "source library": {
            "source-library": {
                "command": "npx",
                "args": [
                    "-y",
                    "@source-library/mcp-server"
                ]
            }
        }
    }
}

Setting up with Cline

Open Cline's settings
Navigate to the Integrations section
Click "Add MCP Server"
Copy and paste the configuration below based on your operating system

Note: Make sure to restart Cline after adding the configuration.

JSON

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "source library": {
            "source-library": {
                "command": "npx",
                "args": [
                    "-y",
                    "@source-library/mcp-server"
                ]
            }
        }
    }
}

JSON

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "source library": {
            "source-library": {
                "command": "npx",
                "args": [
                    "-y",
                    "@source-library/mcp-server"
                ]
            }
        }
    }
}

JSON

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "source library": {
            "source-library": {
                "command": "npx",
                "args": [
                    "-y",
                    "@source-library/mcp-server"
                ]
            }
        }
    }
}

Setting up with Goose

Open Goose's preferences
Go to the Integrations tab
Select "MCP Servers"
Click "Add New Server"
Use the configuration below based on your operating system

JSON

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "source library": {
            "source-library": {
                "command": "npx",
                "args": [
                    "-y",
                    "@source-library/mcp-server"
                ]
            }
        }
    }
}

JSON

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "source library": {
            "source-library": {
                "command": "npx",
                "args": [
                    "-y",
                    "@source-library/mcp-server"
                ]
            }
        }
    }
}

JSON

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "source library": {
            "source-library": {
                "command": "npx",
                "args": [
                    "-y",
                    "@source-library/mcp-server"
                ]
            }
        }
    }
}

From the repository

Install via npm (npm install -g @source-library/mcp-server) or run directly with npx @source-library/mcp-server. For Claude Code, use claude mcp add source-library -- npx -y @source-library/mcp-server. For Claude Desktop, add a JSON entry to the config file. The CLI supports commands like source-library search "philosopher's stone" and source-library text <book_id> --from=1 --to=50.

`search_library`

Full-text search across Source Library's 22,000+ rare historical books. Searches titles, authors, translations, and OCR text. Returns matching books and page snippets with citation URLs. ORIENTATION HINT: when the user has named a specific author or work, call get_book directly (or list_books to find the ID first) — the AI-generated book summary is usually the right first answer and saves repeated passage hunting.

`list_books`

Browse the catalog by metadata — filter by author/title fragment, language, category, or translation recency. Returns books with title, author, language, year, page counts, and translation progress. Use this to discover WHAT EXISTS by an author or in a tradition before searching content; for content matches (passages on a topic) use search_translations or search_concept.

`search_translations`

Search inside translated page text across the entire library. THE tool for sweeping across many books for evidence on a theme. Unlike search_library (which matches titles/authors), this searches inside the actual text. Returns passage snippets with page numbers, book info, and citation URLs. ORIENTATION HINT: if the user has named a specific author or work, prefer get_book first — every book has an AI-generated summary + chapter outline that is usually the right first read. Use search_translations when looking for evidence across multiple books. (Also available as 'search_passages'.)

`search_concept`

Conceptual / semantic passage search across the whole library. Use when the modern term won't literally appear in historical texts — e.g. "distributed cognition" maps to passages about active intellect, art of memory, wax tablet metaphors; "social contract" maps to pre-Hobbesian discussions of consent and authority. Ranks passages by cosine similarity on Gemini embeddings, so paraphrases and conceptually adjacent phrasings match even when no keyword overlaps. ORIENTATION HINT: if the user named a specific author or work, prefer get_book first — semantic search is expensive and best reserved for cross-corpus discovery. Prefer search_translations for literal phrases or distinctive single terms; use search_concept when the concept matters more than the wording. Similarity calibration: 0.70+ strong match, 0.55–0.70 worth reading but verify, below 0.55 mostly conceptual drift.

`search_within_book`

Search inside a specific book's pages (OCR and translations). Returns matching pages with snippets and citation URLs. Use after finding a book to locate specific passages.

`get_book`

Get a book's AI-generated summary, chapter list, index stats, edition metadata, DOI, page counts, and processing status. THIS IS THE RIGHT FIRST CALL whenever the user has named a specific author or work — the summary is typically a multi-paragraph orientation covering the book's argument, structure, and significance, often answering the question without any further searching. Pair with get_book_text to read selected chapters, or search_within_book to locate passages inside it.

`get_book_text`

READ A BOOK — start here. Preferred: use 'chapter' param to read one chapter at a time (includes page markers like [Page 42] for citation). Or use page ranges (from/to) for focused reading. Call get_book first to see the chapter list. TRUNCATION: the response always includes truncated: true/false. When truncated=true, the truncation_note field gives the exact next from/to values to call — this means content was cut short by a page-budget limit, NOT that the book ended. An AI agent MUST NOT infer end-of-book from pages_returned alone; always check truncated first. Budget limits apply to anonymous callers (~50 pages per 24h); sign in at sourcelibrary.org/auth/signin or get an API key at sourcelibrary.org/developers for higher limits.

`get_quote`

Get the exact translated text of a single page for quoting. Returns the verbatim translation, original OCR text, and a formatted citation. ALWAYS use this tool before putting text in quotation marks — copy the exact text from the response, do not paraphrase or reconstruct from memory. The response headline is citation_link (the stable sourcelibrary.org/q/… shortlink) — present it to the user alongside the quote and its page number. Render as: > [exact translation text, verbatim] > — [Author], p. [N]. [citation_link]

`search_images`

Search the visual collection: 50,000+ illustrations extracted from book pages PLUS 23,000+ standalone artworks (paintings, frescoes, prints, sculptures from Met, Rijksmuseum, Wikimedia, NGA). Filter by type, subject, figure, symbol, year, book, or text query. Each result has a `source` field — `gallery` (illustration in a book) or `artwork` (standalone museum work). Use `type=painting` or `type=fresco` to find standalone works; `type=woodcut`, `type=engraving`, `type=emblem` etc. surface mostly book illustrations. The `source` parameter narrows the search: 'all' (default), 'gallery' (illustrations only), or 'artworks' (standalone works only).

`check_duplicate`

Check if a book already exists in Source Library before importing. Uses 4-tier matching: source fingerprint, title+author normalization, keyword search, and semantic similarity. Returns confidence level, matches with URLs, and a suggestion (safe to import / review matches / likely duplicate). Use this BEFORE every import to avoid duplicates.

`submit_feedback`

Submit feedback, bug reports, feature requests, or comments to the Source Library team. Messages go directly to the maintainers.

`share_findings`

Share a research dossier back to the Source Library team — a title, an optional summary, and an ordered list of citations (the passages your thesis rests on). Each citation is a reference { book_id, page, note }, NOT copied text: the library re-renders the canonical quote from the reference, so links stay authoritative. Use this when the user has assembled a thesis backed by passages across one or more books and wants to contribute it back. Like submit_feedback, it goes to the team for review (not an instant public page).

Claude Desktop / Cursor

Paste into your MCP client config file to install this server.

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "source library": {
            "source-library": {
                "command": "npx",
                "args": [
                    "-y",
                    "@source-library/mcp-server"
                ]
            }
        }
    }
}

McpServers

{
    "source-library": {
        "command": "npx",
        "args": [
            "-y",
            "@source-library/mcp-server"
        ]
    }
}

Source Library MCP Server

Search, read, and cite 22,000+ rare pre-modern texts (alchemy, Hermetica, Kabbalah, theology, early science) with AI-generated English translations. 12 tools (full-text + semantic search, reading, exact quoting, image search, duplicate detection, feedback, sharing findings back). CLI + MCP server, no API key needed.

Quick Start

Claude Code

claude mcp add source-library -- npx -y @source-library/mcp-server

Claude Desktop

Add to your Claude Desktop config:

macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "source-library": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@source-library/mcp-server"]
    }
  }
}

CLI

```bash

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About

Details

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Setting up with Highlight

From the repository

search_library

list_books

search_translations

search_concept

search_within_book

get_book

get_book_text

get_quote

search_images

check_duplicate

submit_feedback

share_findings

Claude Desktop / Cursor

McpServers

Source Library MCP Server

Quick Start

Claude Code

Claude Desktop

CLI

Install

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`search_library`

`list_books`

`search_translations`

`search_concept`

`search_within_book`

`get_book`

`get_book_text`

`get_quote`

`search_images`

`check_duplicate`

`submit_feedback`

`share_findings`