What is the key difference between Source Library and Research Hub?

Source Library belongs to the Research category with local stdio execution, while Research Hub belongs to the Research category with local stdio execution.

How do I install Source Library or Research Hub 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 Source Library and Research Hub free or paid?

Source Library operates under a BYOK (Pay Provider Direct) model (API Key required). Research Hub operates under a Free / Open Source model (API Key required).

Which MCP server has more tools and community activity?

Source Library lists 6 tools with 2 views and 19 GitHub stars. Research Hub lists 6 tools with 2 views and 56 GitHub stars.

Can I use both Source Library and Research Hub 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.

Side-by-Side Model Context Protocol Comparison

Source Library vs Research Hub

In-depth architectural comparison of the Source Library and Research Hub 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

Source Library

Research · Local stdio

Quality: 37/100 (Fair) | Auth: API Key required

Research Hub

Research · Local stdio

Quality: 56/100 (Good) | Auth: API Key required

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

Which MCP Server Should You Choose?

Choose Source Library when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Research domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: API Key required (BYOK (Pay Provider Direct)).
Primary tools included: OCR for historical texts using Gemini Vision, Context-aware translation across pages, Full-text and semantic search.

Explore Source Library Details

Choose Research Hub when:

You need dedicated capabilities in the Research domain.
You prefer local stdio subprocess transport architecture.
Your security boundary fits: API Key required (Free / Open Source).
You have access to required keys: ZOTERO_API_KEY, ZOTERO_USER_ID, NOTEBOOKLM_API_KEY, GOOGLE_API_KEY, GOOGLE_OAUTH_CLIENT_ID, GOOGLE_OAUTH_CLIENT_SECRET.
Primary tools included: Unified search across arXiv, Semantic Scholar, PubMed, and CrossRef, Integration with Zotero for reference management, Obsidian note syncing and dashboard visualization.

Feature & Specification Comparison

Specification	Source Library Research	Research Hub WenyuChiou Research
Summary	Search rare historical texts with OCR, translations & DOI citations.	Research workspace MCP integrating Zotero, Obsidian, and NotebookLM. Search papers (arXiv/Semantic Scholar/PubMed/CrossRef), ingest into Zotero, sync notes to Obsidian, verify NotebookLM briefs. All three external tools optional. pip install research-hub-pipeline then research-hub serve.
Category & Scope	Research

Tools & Capabilities Breakdown

Source Library Tools (6)

OCR for historical texts using Gemini Vision

Context-aware translation across pages

Full-text and semantic search

DOI minting and scholarly metadata

Curated collections and illustration galleries

EPUB and annotated PDF export

Research Hub Tools (6)

Unified search across arXiv, Semantic Scholar, PubMed, and CrossRef

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).

Source Library Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

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

Research Hub Configuration

mcpServers (Claude Desktop / Cursor)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "wenyuchiou-research-hub": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "research-hub-pipeline"
      ],
      "env": {
        "ZOTERO_API_KEY": "YOUR_ZOTERO_API_KEY_HERE",
        "ZOTERO_USER_ID": "YOUR_ZOTERO_USER_ID_HERE",
        "NOTEBOOKLM_API_KEY": "YOUR_NOTEBOOKLM_API_KEY_HERE",
        "GOOGLE_API_KEY": "YOUR_GOOGLE_API_KEY_HERE",
        "GOOGLE_OAUTH_CLIENT_ID": "YOUR_GOOGLE_OAUTH_CLIENT_ID_HERE",
        "GOOGLE_OAUTH_CLIENT_SECRET": "YOUR_GOOGLE_OAUTH_CLIENT_SECRET_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Frequently Asked Questions

Source Library is categorized under Research and uses a local stdio subprocess. In contrast, Research Hub belongs to Research using local stdio subprocess. Select Source Library when you need capabilities focused on research and Research Hub when you require tools for research.

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