# Northwestern University Libraries Digital Collections API

Connects AI clients to Northwestern University Library digitized archives. Searches records, retrieves item metadata, and serves IIIF manifests.

- MCP server · `type=mcp` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Windsurf (Devin Desktop), Cline, Zed, Gemini CLI · ★ 14
- Author: nulib
- License: not stated · policy=link-only · description only; the file stays with the author
- Source: https://github.com/nulib/dc-api-v2/tree/HEAD/mcp
- Updated: 2026-10-23
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/mcp/northwestern-university-libraries-digital-collections-api

## What it does

This server exposes Northwestern University cultural collections to coding agents. It supplies tools for natural language catalog queries, semantic discovery, and visual similarity matching across items. Assistants can also inspect complete item records or request IIIF manifests for individual works and entire series.

A hosted HTTP endpoint operates at `https://api.dc.library.northwestern.edu/api/v2/mcp`, avoiding local package installations or token setups. Connecting takes a single transport command. If you choose to build the project locally instead, the environment demands Node.js 24 or newer managed with mise.

## Requirements
- Needs: Node.js (commands run via npx)
- Remote server: `https://api.dc.library.northwestern.edu/api/v2/mcp`

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Platform CLI: remote server**
```bash
claude mcp add --transport http dc-api https://api.dc.library.northwestern.edu/api/v2/mcp
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
claude mcp add mcp -- npx -y @nulib/dc-api-mcp
```

### Codex

1. **Platform CLI: remote server**
```bash
codex mcp add mcp --url https://api.dc.library.northwestern.edu/api/v2/mcp
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
codex mcp add mcp -- npx -y @nulib/dc-api-mcp
```

### Cursor

**Config file**
File `.cursor/mcp.json`:
```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "mcp": {
            "url": "https://api.dc.library.northwestern.edu/api/v2/mcp"
        }
    }
}
```
File `.cursor/mcp.json`:
```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "mcp": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "-y",
                "@nulib/dc-api-mcp"
            ]
        }
    }
}
```

### GitHub Copilot

**Config file**
File `.vscode/mcp.json`:
```json
{
    "servers": {
        "mcp": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://api.dc.library.northwestern.edu/api/v2/mcp"
        }
    }
}
```
File `.vscode/mcp.json`:
```json
{
    "servers": {
        "mcp": {
            "type": "stdio",
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "-y",
                "@nulib/dc-api-mcp"
            ]
        }
    }
}
```

### Gemini CLI

1. **Platform CLI: remote server**
```bash
gemini mcp add -t http mcp https://api.dc.library.northwestern.edu/api/v2/mcp
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini mcp add mcp npx -y @nulib/dc-api-mcp
```

## When to use it
- query digital archive records using natural language or field filters
- discover items visually or semantically related to a specific record
- pull complete archival metadata by item identifier
- fetch IIIF manifests to render materials in external viewers

## Example prompts
- Search Northwestern digital collections for nineteenth-century maps
- Find items visually similar to work id 84729
- Retrieve the IIIF manifest for this collection

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