Skip to main content
Glama
ianderso

nara-catalog-mcp

by ianderso
OverviewSchemaSourceRelated ServersDiscussionsAdmin
Python
Local

search_records

Read-only

Search the National Archives Catalog for records by title or keyword to locate leads, returning match counts and summaries with NAID and hierarchy.

Instructions

Search the National Archives Catalog for records.

Start with title and a specific phrase; the Catalog holds tens of millions of descriptions and a broad query will bury the useful hit. A result is a lead: check the hierarchy and dates against what you already know before reading the images.

Returns the total number of matches and a page of summaries, each with its NAID, hierarchy, holding unit and image count. Use search_records_advanced when you need dates, a record group, an M-number or digitised-only.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
pageNoPage of results, 1-based. The API pages rather than offsetting; beyond 10,000 results it needs cursor pagination.
limitNoMaximum records to return (1-100).
queryNoFull-text search across the description. Broader and noisier than title; use it when a title search finds nothing.
titleNoWords to match in the record title, e.g. 'Hall pension' or a person's name. Titles of case files usually carry the name.

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

  1. Changed1 schema field changedv1.0.2
    • addedInput schema / additionalProperties
      Added value: +false
  2. First observedv0.1.0

TDQS

A4.6/5.0
Behavior4/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations already cover the safety profile (readOnlyHint, openWorldHint), so the bar is lower. The description still adds real context: the corpus scale that makes broad queries fail, the "a result is a lead" interpretation warning, and the exact shape of the return (total count plus page of NAID/hierarchy/holding unit/image count summaries). It does not discuss the cursor threshold itself, though the schema does.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness4/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Three short paragraphs, front-loaded with purpose and then the tactic, then the return shape and the alternative. Nearly every sentence earns its place, though the framing around Catalog scale is slightly verbose for the point it makes.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

No output schema exists, but the description supplies the return contract (total match count plus per-record NAID, hierarchy, holding unit, image count). Combined with all-optional, fully documented parameters, an agent has everything needed to call this correctly.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters4/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema coverage is 100%, so baseline is 3, but the description adds decision-level meaning: which parameter to start with and why (`title` first, `query` as fallback for noise). That is strategy beyond the schema's per-field definitions, though it introduces no new format or syntax detail.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

States a specific verb+resource ("Search the National Archives Catalog for records") and explicitly differentiates itself from the sibling search_records_advanced by naming the conditions that select the other tool. An agent can route between the two without opening either schema.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines5/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

Gives concrete when-to-use advice ("Start with `title` and a specific phrase"), warns against the failure mode of a broad `query`, and names the alternative plus its trigger conditions (dates, record group, M-number, digitised-only). This is explicit when/when-not/alternative guidance.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

Deploy Server

Other Tools