🇨🇭 Part of the Swiss Public Data MCP Portfolio

🏛️ eth-library-mcp

🌐 English | Deutsch

MCP server giving AI models direct access to 30M+ resources at ETH Library Zurich – books, maps, images and archival material.

Demo

Overview

eth-library-mcp connects AI assistants like Claude to the largest natural-science library in Switzerland. It exposes full-text search, archive-level queries and resource-type filtering via the ETH Library's Discovery API – all through a single, standardised MCP interface.

6 Tools · 1 API · 2 Resources · 2 Prompts

MCP Protocol Version: 2026-07-28 (via mcp[cli]>=2.0.0,<3).

BUG-02 is resolved — by removing the tool. eth_search_persons was documented as "currently non-functional, correct URL to be verified". It has now been verified, and there is no correct URL: the Persons API is gone from the gateway, not merely locked. The gateway routes before it checks the API key, so an existing route answers 401 and a missing one answers 404 — /discovery/v1/resources gives 401, every /persons/v1/* path gives 404, and so does a deliberately invented Discovery path used as a control. Offering a capability that cannot exist is the same mistake as returning an empty result, only louder. The measurement is recorded and dated in tests/fixtures/api_routes.json.

Anchor demo query: "Find historical documents about Zurich school history in the ETH Library archives."

Features

• 🔍 Full-text search over 30M+ resources with fields, operators, and facets
• 📖 Resource details – full metadata via MMS-ID
• 🗂️ Archive search – ETH University Archives, Max Frisch, Thomas Mann, Graphische Sammlung, Bildarchiv
• 🏷️ Resource type filter – books, maps, images, archival material and more
• 🎓 Education search – curated workflow optimised for pedagogy and school history
• 📋 Server overview – all resource types and archives at a glance
• 🗣️ Built-in prompts – structured research and education-research workflows
• ☁️ Dual transport – stdio for Claude Desktop, Streamable HTTP/SSE for cloud deployment

Prerequisites

• Python 3.11+
• A free API key from developer.library.ethz.ch

Installation

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/malkreide/eth-library-mcp.git
cd eth-library-mcp

# Install
pip install -e .

# Or with uv (recommended)
uv pip install -e .

Quickstart

# Set the API key
export ETH_LIBRARY_API_KEY=your_key_here   # macOS / Linux
# $env:ETH_LIBRARY_API_KEY = "your_key_here"  # Windows (PowerShell)

# Start the server (stdio mode for Claude Desktop)
python -m eth_library_mcp.server

Without an API key the server returns a helpful error message with the registration link – no crashes.

Try it immediately in Claude Desktop:

"Find books about Swiss education history in the ETH Library." "Search the Max Frisch archive for manuscripts about Zurich."

→ More use cases by audience →

Configuration

Environment Variables

Claude Desktop Configuration

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "eth-library": {
      "command": "python",
      "args": ["-m", "eth_library_mcp.server"],
      "env": {
        "ETH_LIBRARY_API_KEY": "your_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Config file locations:

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

Cloud Deployment (SSE for browser access)

For use via claude.ai in the browser (e.g. on managed workstations without local software):

python -m eth_library_mcp.server --http --port 8000

The HTTP transport binds to 127.0.0.1 by default. To expose it on another interface, pass --host explicitly:

# Only behind a reverse-proxy / firewall that terminates TLS and enforces auth.
python -m eth_library_mcp.server --http --host 0.0.0.0 --port 8000

⚠️ Do not bind to 0.0.0.0 without a reverse proxy. The server has no built-in auth, rate-limiting or TLS — any LAN neighbour could call your tools.

💡 "stdio for the developer laptop, HTTP for the browser — behind a proxy."

Available Tools

Discovery API (api.library.ethz.ch)

Persons API

Utilities

Resources & Prompts

Query Syntax

The Discovery API uses structured queries:

field,operator,value

Examples:

any,contains,Volksschule Zürich
title,contains,Pädagogik
creator,exact,Einstein Albert
sub,contains,Bildungsforschung
title,contains,Schule;sub,contains,Geschichte

Available Archives

Example Use Cases

Project Structure

eth-library-mcp/
├── src/
│   └── eth_library_mcp/
│       ├── __init__.py        # Package init, version
│       └── server.py          # FastMCP server, all tools
├── tests/
│   └── test_server.py         # Unit tests
├── CHANGELOG.md
├── CONTRIBUTING.md             # Contribution guide (English)
├── CONTRIBUTING.de.md          # Contribution guide (German)
├── SECURITY.md                 # Security posture (English)
├── SECURITY.de.md              # Security posture (German)
├── LICENSE
├── README.md                  # This file (English)
├── README.de.md               # German version
├── claude_desktop_config.json # Example Claude Desktop configuration
└── pyproject.toml             # Build configuration

MCP Protocol Version

This server speaks two protocol eras over the same endpoint. The client's first request on a connection decides which one applies; a later claim from the other era is refused.