DataCite Librarian MCP
Click on "Deploy Server".
Wait a few minutes for the server to deploy. Once ready, it will show a "Started" state.
In the chat, type
@followed by the MCP server name and your instructions, e.g., "@DataCite Librarian MCP search for DOIs with funder NSF from 2025-06"
That's it! The server will respond to your query, and you can continue using it as needed.
Here is a step-by-step guide with screenshots.
DataCite Librarian MCP (mcp-test)-test
Local Model Context Protocol server for the DataCite community: repository QA, funder compliance, CSV index analytics, search/facets, and exports over DataCite monthly and public datafiles you host on disk.
Built with FastMCP · uv · Python 3.12+ · MIT
This repository does not ship production datafiles. You must download them yourself and keep them outside git (see below). CI runs only against a small mock corpus.
Strict requirements
You must obtain datafiles from DataCite, not from this repo.
Never commit real
part_*.jsonl.gz,YYYY-MM.csv.gz, TAR archives, or monthly/public extracts. They are gitignored underdata/local/and at the repo root.Set
DATACITE_DATA_DIRto your extracted data directory. If the variable is set but the path does not exist, the MCP errors (it does not silently use mock data).Mock data is for demos/tests only (or when
DATACITE_DATA_DIRis unset /DATACITE_USE_MOCK=1). It is not a substitute for real monthly/public files.Aggregate tools scan a limited number of records by default (
DATACITE_MAX_RECORDS, default10000). Always inspecttruncated,scan_limit, and (for indexes)coverage_pctso you do not treat a sample as the full corpus.Metadata vs index: a
YYYY-MM.csv.gzindex can list hundreds of thousands of DOIs; you need the matchingpart_*.jsonl.gzfiles for full QA/search. Usecoverage_reportto measure the gap.Respect DataCite access terms: the public annual file is openly documented; the monthly file is for DataCite Members and Consortium Organizations (authenticated S3 access). See official docs linked below.
Related MCP server: crossref-local
Obtain DataCite datafiles (official documentation)
Follow only DataCite’s documentation and portals. Do not rely on third-party mirrors unless you trust them and accept their terms.
Resource | URL |
Data files portal | |
Public data file (annual, public DOIs; documented for open use) | |
Monthly data file (members/consortium; S3 + credentials) | |
XML ↔ JSON mapping (record shape) | |
Metadata schema |
High-level download steps (summary only — details are on Support)
Public annual file
Open datafiles.datacite.org and locate the latest public release (e.g.
public-2025).Download the TAR (or equivalent) per the Public Data File page.
Extract locally to a directory you control (recommended: this repo’s
data/local/, which is gitignored).Confirm you see something like
dois/updated_YYYY-MM/part_*.jsonl.gzand/or monthlyYYYY-MM.csv.gzindexes inside the extract.
Monthly file (members)
Confirm your organization is a DataCite Member or Consortium participant.
Follow Monthly Data File for temporary AWS credentials and S3 access.
Sync/extract to
data/local/(or another path outside git).Point
DATACITE_DATA_DIRat that root.
After download — required layout for this MCP
Preferred (matches DataCite releases):
data/local/ # or any path you pass as DATACITE_DATA_DIR
STATUS.json # optional
MANIFEST.json # optional
dois/
updated_2026-06/
2026-06.csv.gz # index: doi, state, client_id, updated
part_0000.jsonl.gz # full metadata (~10k records/part typical)
part_0001.jsonl.gz
…Also supported (experimental/flat):
data/local/
2026-06.csv.gz
part_0000.jsonl.gzSee data/local/README.md and docs/DATAFILE_SCHEMA.md.
Quick start (development)
Prerequisites
Python 3.12+
Install
git clone <this-repo-url> mcp-test
cd mcp-test
uv sync --all-groupsRun MCP (stdio — for Cursor / Claude Desktop / other MCP hosts)
# Demo/mock only (no real datafiles)
uv run datacite-librarian-mcp
# Production/local datafiles (STRICT: path must exist)
export DATACITE_DATA_DIR="/absolute/path/to/data/local"
export DATACITE_MAX_RECORDS=20000 # optional; raise for fuller scans
uv run datacite-librarian-mcpExample MCP host config (mcp.json pattern):
{
"mcpServers": {
"datacite-librarian": {
"command": "uv",
"args": [
"run",
"--directory",
"/absolute/path/to/mcp-test",
"datacite-librarian-mcp"
],
"env": {
"DATACITE_DATA_DIR": "/absolute/path/to/mcp-test/data/local",
"DATACITE_MAX_RECORDS": "20000"
}
}
}
}Run MCP (HTTP, local testing)
export DATACITE_DATA_DIR="/absolute/path/to/data/local"
uv run python -c "from datacite_librarian_mcp.server import mcp; mcp.run(transport='http', host='127.0.0.1', port=8765)"Natural-language REPL (maps questions → tools; not a full LLM)
export DATACITE_DATA_DIR="/absolute/path/to/data/local"
uv run datacite-librarian-chat
# or: uv run python scripts/interactive_client.pyExamples: how many DOIs?, how many funders?, repository health for zenodo, funder compliance for European Commission.
Who this is for
Audience | Start with |
Librarians / RDM |
|
Research offices |
|
Repository operators |
|
Bibliometrics / policy |
|
Developers |
|
Teachers |
|
Call community_guide from any MCP client for persona-oriented workflows.
Tools (summary)
Discovery: community_guide, server_info, corpus_status, corpus_inventory, diff_partitions_summary
Metadata QA / compliance (needs part_*.jsonl.gz): repository_health, funder_compliance, search_dois, get_doi, check_doi_qa, list_clients, list_funders
Analytics: facets, top_subjects
CSV index only (no JSONL required): index_summary, index_client, coverage_report
Exports (writes under exports/ or DATACITE_EXPORT_DIR): export_health_issues, export_funder_issues, export_search_results
Ops: regenerate_mock_data
Configuration
Variable | Purpose |
| Corpus root (must exist if set) |
|
|
| Override mock write/read location |
| Aggregate scan ceiling (default |
|
|
| Export output directory |
Development & CI
uv sync --all-groups
uv run pytest
uv run ruff check src testsGitHub Actions (.github/workflows/ci.yml) runs ruff + pytest on Python 3.12 and 3.13 with DATACITE_USE_MOCK=1 only—no real datafiles in CI.
Project docs:
docs/DATAFILE_SCHEMA.md — file/record schema notes
docs/DEVELOPMENT.md — contributor workflow
data/local/README.md — where to put downloads
Design principles
Local-first — organizations keep datafiles; this project never distributes bulk DOI corpora.
Stream-read — gzip JSONL/CSV line-by-line; suitable for large files without a database.
Light dependencies —
fastmcp+pydantic(+ stdlib).Honest limits —
truncated,scan_limit,coverage_pcton tool outputs.Index without metadata — CSV tools help before all
part_*.jsonl.gzare downloaded.
License
MIT — see LICENSE.
DataCite bulk metadata licensing and access are governed by DataCite (public file documentation typically describes CC0 for metadata; confirm on Support). Member monthly access may be restricted. This software does not redistribute production datafiles.
Links
Available Tools
21 toolscheck_doi_qaC
Full QA issue breakdown for one DOI.
Inputs: doi (required), max_scan. Returns: object
community_guideA
Persona-oriented guide: which tools for librarians, RDM, funders, ops, research, teaching.
Inputs: no named parameters. Returns: object
corpus_inventoryB
Full inventory: layout type, partitions, loose CSV/JSONL, capabilities, gaps.
Inputs: no named parameters. Returns: object
corpus_statusA
Quick status: path, mode, partitions, part count, capability notes.
Inputs: no named parameters. Returns: object
coverage_reportC
Compare CSV index DOIs vs DOIs in loaded JSONL (coverage gap / what to download next).
Inputs: month, csv_path, max_index_rows, max_metadata_scan. Returns: object
diff_partitions_summaryB
Summarize partitions and part files (metadata side).
Inputs: no named parameters. Returns: object
export_funder_issuesC
Run funder_compliance and export issues to exports/.
Inputs: fmt, award_query, max_records, funder_query. Returns: object
export_health_issuesB
Run repository_health and write issues to exports/ (csv or json). Returns path.
Inputs: fmt, prefix, client_id, max_records. Returns: object
export_search_resultsA
Search DOIs and export matching summaries to CSV under exports/.
Inputs: query, max_scan, client_id, max_results. Returns: object
facetsC
Facet counts: types, years, publishers, languages, clients; ORCID/funder/license rates.
Inputs: top_n, prefix, client_id, max_records. Returns: object
funder_complianceC
Funder/award compliance: IDs, awards, licenses, ORCID; actionable issues.
Inputs: client_id, max_issues, award_query, max_records, +1 more. Returns: object
get_doiA
Lookup one DOI in local JSONL; returns summary + QA issues. Default full-corpus scan.
Inputs: doi (required), max_scan. Returns: object
index_clientC
One repository's DOI count, states, prefixes, and sample rows from the CSV index only.
Inputs: client_id (required), month, csv_path. Returns: object
index_summaryA
Summarize a monthly CSV index (doi/state/client_id/updated).
Returns totals, states, top clients/prefixes. Works without JSONL — ideal for large months when you only have the index. Pass month as YYYY-MM (e.g. 2026-06) or csv_path relative/absolute.
Inputs: month, top_n, csv_path, max_rows. Returns: object
list_clientsC
Repository client_id counts from streamed metadata.
Inputs: max_scan. Returns: object
list_fundersC
Funder name/ID frequencies from fundingReferences in metadata.
Inputs: limit, max_scan. Returns: object
regenerate_mock_dataC
Regenerate bundled/demo mock corpus.
Inputs: no named parameters. Returns: object
repository_healthC
Aggregate repository QA: completeness, issues, samples. Scope by client_id or prefix.
Inputs: prefix, client_id, max_records, max_sample_issues. Returns: object
search_doisC
Search streamed JSONL with filters (title/DOI/description, funder, subject, year, geo).
Inputs: query, prefix, has_geo, max_scan, +9 more. Returns: object
server_infoB
Version, paths, env vars, export dir, DataCite documentation links.
Inputs: no named parameters. Returns: object
top_subjectsC
Most common subject/keyword strings in metadata.
Inputs: top_n, max_records. Returns: object
Tool Schema Changelog
Recent tool additions, removals, and schema changes observed during successful MCP inspections.
Loading tool schema changelog…
TDQS
Scored across 21 tools
Most tools target distinct resources (search, QA, compliance, corpus status). However, get_doi and check_doi_qa both report QA issues (summary vs full breakdown), and export_* tools wrap their base operations, which could cause confusion. Overall, the descriptions are detailed enough to differentiate most tools.
Tool names mix verb-first (search_dois, list_clients, export_search_results) with noun-first (facets, repository_health, corpus_status) and some ambiguous names like index_client and diff_partitions_summary. The patterns are inconsistent but readable.
21 tools is on the heavy side for a specialized librarian server. Many tools are variations of reporting/exporting (export_health_issues, export_funder_issues, export_search_results) and status (corpus_status, corpus_inventory, server_info), but the breadth of DataCite functionality justifies most tools.
The server covers core analysis needs: search, lookup, QA, compliance, aggregations, and exports. However, there is no direct tool to fetch the full raw metadata for a DOI (only summaries and QA), and no create/update/delete operations, which might be outside scope but could be a gap for some use cases.
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