# Northwestern University Libraries Digital Collections API (remote · api.dc.library.northwestern.edu)

Agent integration with the Northwestern University Libraries Digital Collections API

- Trust score: 75/100 (medium)
- Change this week: +5
- Registry status: active
- Liveness: live
- Owner verified: no
- Last scored: 2026-08-03

## Components

- remote · `api.dc.library.northwestern.edu`: 75/100 (this document), [markdown](https://verifymcp.io/servers/nulib-dc-api/api-v2-mcp.md), [page](https://verifymcp.io/servers/nulib-dc-api/api-v2-mcp)
- npm · `@nulib/dc-api-mcp`: 43/100, [markdown](https://verifymcp.io/servers/nulib-dc-api/nulib-dc-api-mcp.md), [page](https://verifymcp.io/servers/nulib-dc-api/nulib-dc-api-mcp)
- oci · `ghcr.io/nulib/dc-api-mcp:2.11.10`: 6/100, [markdown](https://verifymcp.io/servers/nulib-dc-api/ghcr-io-nulib-dc-api-mcp-2-11-10.md), [page](https://verifymcp.io/servers/nulib-dc-api/ghcr-io-nulib-dc-api-mcp-2-11-10)

## Channel facts

- Endpoint: `https://api.dc.library.northwestern.edu/api/v2/mcp`
- Transports: `streamable-http`
- Auth: `none`
- Version: `2.11.10`

## Trust breakdown

How this component scores in each security and reliability category. Every signal is checked automatically against the live server, and we only credit what we can confirm. Scores are 0–100 per category. Scoring method: https://verifymcp.io/docs/scoring (what has changed: https://verifymcp.io/docs/scoring/changelog)

Scored 2026-08-03.

- **Endpoint Security**: 74/100
  - The endpoint's TLS certificate is valid, in date, and uses a strong key.
  - No authorisation is required to call this server. Every tool declares its destructiveHint and none is destructive, so open access doesn't expose one.
  - HTTPS is enforced; there's no plaintext access path.
  - HSTS check failed: the Strict-Transport-Security header is absent.
  - DNSSEC check failed: this domain isn't protected by DNSSEC.
- **Transport & Reachability**: 100/100
  - Verified streamable-http transport via a live MCP handshake.
- **Schema Quality & AI Usability**: 82/100
  - 100% of prompts and resources have a non-trivial description (not blank, and not just the item's name).
  - AI-judged instruction clarity (good).
  - Tool/resource definitions use about 746 tokens (~82/item across 9 items; 8 tools + 1 resources), lean.
  - Usage-examples check failed: none of the tools include examples.
- **Stability & Change Management**: 27/100
  - Stability observed for 8 of 30 days with no destabilising changes; credit accrues until the full window elapses.
- **Tool Coverage**: 100/100
  - 100% of tools have a non-trivial description (not blank, and not just the tool's name).
  - 100% of tool parameters carry a description.
  - Structured output schemas are declared (38% of tools); any adoption earns full credit.
- **Capabilities**: 100/100
  - Implements a supported MCP spec version (2025-11-25); the latest is 2026-07-28.
  - Supports UI / widget rendering.

## Install

### Claude

```bash
claude mcp add --transport http nulib-dc-api https://api.dc.library.northwestern.edu/api/v2/mcp
```

### Codex

```toml
[mcp_servers.nulib-dc-api]
url = "https://api.dc.library.northwestern.edu/api/v2/mcp"
```

### opencode

```json
{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "mcp": {
    "nulib-dc-api": {
      "type": "remote",
      "url": "https://api.dc.library.northwestern.edu/api/v2/mcp",
      "enabled": true
    }
  }
}
```

### OpenClaw

```bash
openclaw mcp add nulib-dc-api --url https://api.dc.library.northwestern.edu/api/v2/mcp --transport streamable-http
```

### Hermes

```yaml
mcp_servers:
  nulib-dc-api:
    url: "https://api.dc.library.northwestern.edu/api/v2/mcp"
```

### Other

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "nulib-dc-api": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://api.dc.library.northwestern.edu/api/v2/mcp"
    }
  }
}
```

The mcpServers block is a cross-client convention. Remote transports vary, so check your client's docs.

## Changelog

Every change recorded for this component, newest first. Days that predate change tracking, or that we cannot explain, say so: "we were watching and nothing happened" and "we were not watching" are different claims.

### 2026-08-03 (score 75, +1)

No change was recorded against any check on this day. Stability & Change Management went from 23 to 27. That category is still filling its 30-day observation window: 7 days of observed history at the previous scan, 8 at this one. The score rises as the window fills, whether or not the server changes.

### 2026-07-31 (score 74, +2)

- [functional] We updated how we score, so this day's move reflects our rubric, not a change to the server

### 2026-07-30 (score 72, +1)

- [functional] MCP protocol: Implements a supported MCP spec version (2025-11-25); the latest is 2026-07-28.
- [functional] We updated how we score, so this day's move reflects our rubric, not a change to the server
- [functional] Server version: 2.11.9 → 2.11.10

### 2026-07-29 (score 71, +1)

No change was recorded against any check on this day. Stability & Change Management went from 7 to 10. That category is still filling its 30-day observation window: 2 days of observed history at the previous scan, 3 at this one. The score rises as the window fills, whether or not the server changes.

### 2026-07-27 (score 70, +1)

- [functional] We updated how we score, so this day's move reflects our rubric, not a change to the server

### 2026-07-26 (score 69)

First indexed and scored.

## MCP tools (8)

### `search` (~245 tokens)

Search

Search for works in the Digital Collections using field-based and/or natural language queries. If both a natural language query and specific field values are provided, the natural language query will take priority, using the specified field values as additional constraints. The result will also include a list of aggregations that show how many results match different values for certain fields. For example, you could see how many results match each collection, work type, or visibility and use that information to refine your search. Perform an empty search to retrieve all works and their aggregations. NOTE: Structured field values enclosed in double quotes will be treated as exact, case-sensitive matches, while unquoted values will be treated as full-text searches.

Input parameters:

- `fields` (object): Structured field search. Best when searching for specific known items or values, or for narrowing a search by specifying particular fields to search within.
- `max_results` (number): The maximum number of search results to return per page
- `page` (number): The page of search results to return
- `public_only` (boolean): Only include publicly available works in search results
- `query` (string): A natural language query. Best for exploratory / conceptual searches.

Output parameters:

- `aggregations`
- `data` (array): The search results returned from the Digital Collections API
- `explain`: The explain output from Elasticsearch for the search query. Only included if the MCP is running in debug mode.
- `info` (object)
- `pagination` (object)

### `get-work` (~37 tokens)

Get Work

Retrieve the full metadata for a work from the NUL Digital Collections.

Input parameters:

- `work_id` (string, required): The ID of the work to retrieve

### `list-collections` (~67 tokens)

List Collections

List collection records from the NUL Digital Collections.

Input parameters:

- `max_results` (number): The maximum number of search results to return per page
- `page` (number): The page of search results to return
- `public_only` (boolean): Only include publicly available works in search results

Output parameters:

- `aggregations`
- `data` (array): The search results returned from the Digital Collections API
- `explain`: The explain output from Elasticsearch for the search query. Only included if the MCP is running in debug mode.
- `info` (object)
- `pagination` (object)

### `similarity-search` (~91 tokens)

Search for Similar Works

Find works that are similar to a given work. Uses semantic similarity based on work embeddings.

Input parameters:

- `max_results` (number): The maximum number of search results to return per page
- `page` (number): The page of search results to return
- `public_only` (boolean): Only include publicly available works in search results
- `work_id` (string, required): ID of a work to find similar items for.

Output parameters:

- `aggregations`
- `data` (array): The search results returned from the Digital Collections API
- `explain`: The explain output from Elasticsearch for the search query. Only included if the MCP is running in debug mode.
- `info` (object)
- `pagination` (object)

### `view-work` (~37 tokens)

View Work

View a work from the NUL Digital Collections in an interactive viewer.

Input parameters:

- `work_id` (string, required): The ID of the work to view

### `view-collection` (~38 tokens)

View Collection

View a collection from the NUL Digital Collections in an interactive viewer.

Input parameters:

- `collection_id` (string, required): The ID of the collection to view

### `view-search-results` (~121 tokens)

View Search Results

View results from the search-works tool in an interactive viewer.

Input parameters:

- `fields` (object): Structured field search. Best when searching for specific known items or values, or for narrowing a search by specifying particular fields to search within.
- `max_results` (number): The maximum number of search results to return per page
- `page` (number): The page of search results to return
- `public_only` (boolean): Only include publicly available works in search results
- `query` (string): A natural language query. Best for exploratory / conceptual searches.

### `view-similar-works` (~89 tokens)

View Similar Works

View results from the similarity-search tool in an interactive viewer.

Input parameters:

- `max_results` (number): The maximum number of search results to return per page
- `page` (number): The page of search results to return
- `public_only` (boolean): Only include publicly available works in search results
- `work_id` (string, required): ID of a work to find similar items for.

## Diagnostics

Captured diagnostic sections: TLS, DNSSEC, Authorisation, Transports. The full working is on the page: https://verifymcp.io/servers/nulib-dc-api/api-v2-mcp#diagnostics

## Score history

- 2026-08-03: 75
- 2026-08-02: 74
- 2026-08-01: 74
- 2026-07-31: 74
- 2026-07-30: 72
- 2026-07-29: 71
- 2026-07-28: 70
- 2026-07-27: 70
- 2026-07-26: 69

## Links

- Remote endpoint: https://api.dc.library.northwestern.edu/api/v2/mcp
- Repository: https://github.com/nulib/dc-api-v2
- Changelog RSS feed: https://verifymcp.io/servers/nulib-dc-api/api-v2-mcp/changelog.xml
- Changelog JSON feed: https://verifymcp.io/servers/nulib-dc-api/api-v2-mcp/changelog.json
- HTML version of this page: https://verifymcp.io/servers/nulib-dc-api/api-v2-mcp