Mcp Open Library vs Smithsonian Mcp

In-depth architectural comparison of the Mcp Open Library and Smithsonian Mcp MCP servers. Compare execution transports, security boundaries, tool capabilities, quality scores, and ready-to-paste client installation snippets for Claude, Cursor, Windsurf, and VS Code.

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

Choose Mcp Open Library when:

• You need dedicated capabilities in the Art & Culture domain.
• You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
• Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).
• Primary tools included: Book search by title, Author search by name, Get detailed author info by Open Library key.

Explore Mcp Open Library Details

Choose Smithsonian Mcp when:

• You need dedicated capabilities in the Art & Culture domain.
• You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
• Your security boundary fits: API Key required (Free / Open Source).
• You have access to required keys: SMITHSONIAN_API_KEY.
• Primary tools included: simple_explore, continue_explore, search_collections.

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	Mcp Open Library 8enSmith Art & Culture	Smithsonian Mcp molanojustin Art & Culture
Summary	A MCP server for the Open Library API that enables AI assistants to search for book information.	MCP server that provides AI assistants with access to the Smithsonian Institution's Open Access collections.
Category & Scope	Art & Culture

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

Ready-to-Paste Client Configurations

Paste either (or both) of these JSON server blocks into your client config file (e.g. claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json).

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "8ensmith-mcp-open-library": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@smithery/cli"
      ]
    }
  }
}

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "molanojustin-smithsonian-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "molanojustin-smithsonian-mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "SMITHSONIAN_API_KEY": "YOUR_SMITHSONIAN_API_KEY_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

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