nara-mcp-server
Server Configuration
Describes the environment variables required to run the server.
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| NARA_API_KEY | Yes | API key for the US National Archives Catalog API | |
| NARA_API_BASE_URL | No | Base URL for the National Archives Catalog API | https://catalog.archives.gov/api/v2 |
Instructions
Guidance the server publishes about itself, which clients place ahead of the tool catalog so the model reads it before choosing anything.
This server publishes no instructions, or was last inspected before Glama recorded them.
Capabilities
Features and capabilities supported by this server
Protocol revision2025-11-25
| Capability | Details |
|---|---|
| tools | {
"listChanged": true
} |
Tools
Functions exposed to the LLM to take actions
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| search_recordsC | Search the US National Archives Catalog records endpoint. |
| get_recordA | Fetch a record by National Archives Identifier using the Catalog search endpoint. |
| get_child_recordsB | Fetch records whose parent is the supplied National Archives Identifier. |
| get_record_extracted_textA | Fetch extracted OCR/text for a National Archives Identifier, where available. |
| get_record_commentsC | Fetch public comments for a National Archives Identifier. |
| get_record_tagsC | Fetch public tags for a National Archives Identifier. |
| catalog_requestB | Run a read-only GET request against a National Archives Catalog API path. |
Prompts
Interactive templates invoked by user choice
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
No prompts | |
Resources
Contextual data attached and managed by the client
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
No resources | |
TDQS
Scored across 7 tools
Each tool targets a distinct operation: raw API access, search, record retrieval by ID, children, comments, tags, and OCR text. No two tools have overlapping purposes, and descriptions are clear.
Most tools follow a consistent 'get_' prefix with noun suffixes (e.g., get_record, get_record_comments). The exception is 'catalog_request' which reverses the pattern (noun_verb), but it remains readable.
Seven tools is well-scoped for a read-only catalog API. Each tool serves a specific need without redundancy, and the count is appropriate for the domain.
The tool set covers essential operations: searching, retrieving records, navigating hierarchy (children), and accessing associated metadata (comments, tags, OCR). The raw API tool fills any gaps, ensuring completeness.