Metmuseum MCP vs Uooks

A side-by-side look at the Metmuseum MCP and Uooks MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.

Metmuseum MCP logoMetmuseum MCPArt & Culture · Local subprocess (stdio)Metropolitan Museum of Art Collection API integration to search and display artworks in the collection.64GoodAuth: no auth requiredUooks logoUooksArt & Culture · Local subprocess (stdio)Books MCP — wraps Open Library API (free, no auth)53GoodAuth: no auth required

Verdict: choose Metmuseum MCP for art & culture work as a local process; choose Uooks for art & culture as a local process. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.

Which MCP server should you choose?

Metmuseum MCP logoChoose Metmuseum MCP when

  • You need dedicated capabilities in the Art & Culture domain.
  • You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
  • Its auth model fits you: No auth required.
  • You want tools like list-departments, search-museum-objects, get-museum-object.
Explore Metmuseum MCP

Uooks logoChoose Uooks when

  • You need dedicated capabilities in the Art & Culture domain.
  • You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
  • Its auth model fits you: No auth required.
  • You want tools like search_books, get_book, get_author.
Explore Uooks

Feature & specification comparison

Rows where the two servers differ are marked.

SpecMetmuseum MCP logoMetmuseum MCPUooks logoUooks
CategoryArt & CultureArt & Culture
Quality signal64/100 · Good53/100 · Good
Install commandConfirmedConfirmed
TransportLocal subprocess (stdio)Local subprocess (stdio)
AuthNo auth requiredNo auth required
PricingFreeFree
Required env varsNone listedNone listed
Verified ownerCommunity listingCommunity listing
GitHub stars350
Directory activity 7 views 0 installs 0 upvotes 1 views 0 installs 0 upvotes
Tools44

Tools & capabilities

Metmuseum MCP tools 4

  • list-departmentsList all departments in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met Museum)
  • search-museum-objectsSearch for objects in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met Museum). Will return Total objects found, followed by a paginated list of Object Ids. If the Met Explorer app (open-met-explorer) is open and the user is referring to its existing results, prefer using those results from context instead of calling this tool. The parameter title should be set to true if you want to search for objects by title. The parameter hasImages is false by default, but can be set to true to return only objects with images. Additional optional filters are available for highlights, tags, on-view status, artist/culture match, medium, geographic location, and date range. Use page and pageSize to paginate results.
  • get-museum-objectGet a museum object by its ID, from the Metropolitan Museum of Art Collection. Use this when the user asks for deeper details on a specific object ID.
  • open-met-explorerOpen the interactive Met Explorer app for browsing and filtering objects. For exploration intents, pass q so the app can run a live search on open. After opening, keep your chat handoff short and UI-focused. For deeper details on a specific object ID, prefer get-museum-object.

Uooks tools 4

  • search_booksSearch for books by title, author, or keyword. Returns title, author, year, ISBN, and cover image URL. Use this to discover books before fetching full details.
  • get_bookFetch Open Library edition details for a book by ISBN-10 or ISBN-13. Returns title, publish_date, number_of_pages, subjects (up to 10), description, cover_url, and author_keys for follow-up get_author calls.
  • get_authorFetch an author's profile from Open Library by their author key (e.g., 'OL23919A'). Returns name, birth_date, death_date, biographical summary, and Wikipedia URL.
  • get_book_workFetch the canonical Open Library "work" record (the concept of a book across all its editions), by work ID (e.g. "OL45804W"). Returns title, description, first publish date, subjects, and author keys. Use search_books to find a work_id (the W-suffixed key); use get_book for a specific edition by IS…

Ready-to-paste client configs

Paste either block (or both) into your client config, e.g. claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json. We only show a config when the install command is confirmed.

Metmuseum MCP

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mikechao-metmuseum-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "metmuseum-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Uooks

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "uooks": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@pipeworx/mcp-books"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Frequently asked questions

Metmuseum MCP is categorized under Art & Culture and uses a local stdio subprocess. Uooks belongs to Art & Culture and uses a local stdio subprocess. Pick Metmuseum MCP for art & culture work and Uooks for art & culture.

Copy the mcpServers block from the config section on this page into your client's config (for example claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json), then fully restart the client.

Metmuseum MCP is listed as free. Auth: no auth required. Uooks is listed as free. Auth: no auth required. If a server needs environment variables such as API keys, define them under the env key in your client's MCP config.

Yes. MCP clients support multiple servers: add mikechao-metmuseum-mcp and uooks as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.

On AllMCPs, Metmuseum MCP has a quality signal of 64/100 (Good) with 7 views, 0 installs and 35 GitHub stars. Uooks has 53/100 (Good) with 1 views, 0 installs and 0 GitHub stars.