What is the key difference between Semanticscholar and Source Library?

Semanticscholar belongs to the Research category with local stdio execution, while Source Library belongs to the Research category with cloud HTTP/SSE execution.

How do I install Semanticscholar or Source Library in Claude Desktop or Cursor?

Copy the mcpServers JSON configuration snippet provided on this page into your claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json file and restart your AI client.

Are Semanticscholar and Source Library free or paid?

Semanticscholar operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required). Source Library operates under a Free / Open Source model (No auth required).

Which MCP server has more tools and community activity?

Semanticscholar lists 0 tools with 0 views and 0 GitHub stars. Source Library lists 0 tools with 0 views and 14 GitHub stars.

Can I use both Semanticscholar and Source Library together in the same MCP host?

Yes! MCP hosts like Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, Cline, and VS Code support configuring multiple servers under the mcpServers object simultaneously.

How do I install Semanticscholar or Source Library in Claude Desktop, Cursor, or Windsurf?

Both servers follow the standard Model Context Protocol configuration format. Simply copy the JSON block from the configuration section above and paste it into your AI client's mcpServers configuration object (for instance in claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json ), then completely restart or refresh the application.

Are Semanticscholar and Source Library free to use, or do they require API keys?

Semanticscholar is listed under a Free / Open Source model with No auth required . Source Library operates under a Free / Open Source model with No auth required . If environment variables are required (such as API keys), be sure to define them under the env key in your MCP client's configuration file.

Can I run both Semanticscholar and Source Library at the same time in my AI client?

Yes! MCP clients support multi-server orchestration. You can include both semanticscholar and source-library as distinct keys inside the single mcpServers object in your configuration file. Your AI assistant will automatically select and call the appropriate tool from either server during chat sessions.

Which MCP server has higher directory engagement and quality ratings?

On AllMCPs, Semanticscholar has a Quality Score of 27 /100 ( Emerging ) with 0 views, 0 installs, and 0 GitHub stars. Source Library holds a Quality Score of 41 /100 ( Fair ) with 0 views, 0 installs, and 14 GitHub stars.

Side-by-Side Model Context Protocol Comparison

Semanticscholar vs Source Library

In-depth architectural comparison of the Semanticscholar and Source Library 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.

At a Glance & Executive Verdict

Semanticscholar

Research · Local stdio

Quality: 27/100 (Emerging) | Auth: No auth required

Source Library

Research · Remote HTTP/SSE

Quality: 41/100 (Fair) | Auth: No auth required

Verdict Summary: Choose Semanticscholar if you need specialized Research tools running via a local process. Choose Source Library if your workspace requires Research integration with remote web transport. Both servers can be configured concurrently in your client's mcpServers manifest.

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

Choose Semanticscholar when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Research domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).

Explore Semanticscholar Details

Choose Source Library when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Research domain.
You prefer remote streaming HTTP/SSE transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: No auth required (Free / Open Source).

Explore Source Library Details

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	S Semanticscholar Research	S Source Library Research
Summary	Search 200M+ papers, authors, citations, and recommendations via Semantic Scholar	Search rare historical texts with OCR, translations & DOI citations.
Category & Scope	Research	Research
Quality signal

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

Semanticscholar Tools (0)

No explicit tool names declared in metadata yet. Check project README on main listing page.

Source Library Tools (0)

No explicit tool names declared in metadata yet. Check project README on main listing page.

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).

Semanticscholar Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "semanticscholar": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "semanticscholar"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Source Library Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "source-library": {
      "url": "https://img.shields.io/badge/License-AGPL%20v3-blue.svg)](https://www.gnu.org/licenses/agpl-3.0"
    }
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

Semanticscholar is categorized under Research and uses a local stdio subprocess. In contrast, Source Library belongs to Research using remote streaming HTTP/SSE transport. Select Semanticscholar when you need capabilities focused on research and Source Library when you require tools for research.

More alternatives to Semanticscholar More alternatives to Source Library Research category hub

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