How do I install Alexandria?

Copy the stdio config for Cursor, Claude Desktop, Claude Code, or VS Code on this page. It uses the publisher's install, not a PlugMCP proxy.

Does Alexandria need an API key?

The publisher lists these environment variables: OPENAI_API_KEY, ALEXANDRIA_BASE_URL, ALEXANDRIA_API_KEY, CORE_API_KEY, COURTLISTENER_API_KEY, GOVINFO_API_KEY, GOOGLE_BOOKS_API_KEY, GITHUB_TOKEN, NASA_ADS_API_KEY, EUROPEANA_API_KEY, SEMANTIC_SCHOLAR_API_KEY.

What transport does Alexandria use?

Alexandria runs locally over stdio.

Alexandria

Q: When was Alexandria last checked?

Last checked 2026-10-16. Search, read, and cite across 152 libraries: 11 tools, 3 prompts, and a full-text resource.

by io.github.The-40-Thieves

Search, read, and cite across 152 libraries: 11 tools, 3 prompts, and a full-text resource.

Power your agent

Add this server

The publisher's own command. Not a PlugMCP endpoint.

Local command

npx -y @the-40-thieves/[email protected]

Credentials from the publisher

OPENAI_API_KEY — OpenAI key for routing (library_ask), synthesis (library_answer, library_research), and embeddings (library_ingest). Search and read tools work without it.
ALEXANDRIA_BASE_URL — OpenAI-compatible gateway base URL shared by every LLM role (router, synth, research, embeddings, rerank). Falls back to https://api.openai.com/v1.
ALEXANDRIA_API_KEY — API key paired with ALEXANDRIA_BASE_URL. Falls back to OPENAI_API_KEY.
CORE_API_KEY — Unlocks the core source (CORE, 57M+ open access papers). Free key from core.ac.uk/services/api.
COURTLISTENER_API_KEY — Unlocks the courtlistener source (US federal and state court opinions). Free key from courtlistener.com.
GOVINFO_API_KEY — Unlocks govinfo (Congressional Record, Federal Register, US Code); also accepted by congress and regulations. Free key from api.data.gov.
GOOGLE_BOOKS_API_KEY — Unlocks the googlebooks source (40M+ books). Free key from the Google Cloud Console (Books API).
GITHUB_TOKEN — Unlocks githubsearch and githubmcp (GitHub code search); optional for ghsa and openiti. Public-repo read scope is enough.
NASA_ADS_API_KEY — Unlocks the nasaads source (NASA Astrophysics Data System). Free key from ui.adsabs.harvard.edu.
EUROPEANA_API_KEY — Unlocks the europeana source (50M+ European cultural heritage items). Free key from apis.europeana.eu.
SEMANTIC_SCHOLAR_API_KEY — Optional for semanticscholar and library_recommend; raises the rate limit. Free key from semanticscholar.org/product/api.

Provider

Claude Code

OPENAI_API_KEY=<secret> ALEXANDRIA_BASE_URL=<value> ALEXANDRIA_API_KEY=<secret> CORE_API_KEY=<secret> COURTLISTENER_API_KEY=<secret> GOVINFO_API_KEY=<secret> GOOGLE_BOOKS_API_KEY=<secret> GITHUB_TOKEN=<secret> NASA_ADS_API_KEY=<secret> EUROPEANA_API_KEY=<secret> SEMANTIC_SCHOLAR_API_KEY=<secret> claude mcp add io.github.the-40-thieves-alexandria-mcp -- npx -y @the-40-thieves/[email protected]

Run in a terminal.

Claude Desktop

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "io.github.the-40-thieves-alexandria-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@the-40-thieves/[email protected]"
      ],
      "env": {
        "OPENAI_API_KEY": "<secret>",
        "ALEXANDRIA_BASE_URL": "<value>",
        "ALEXANDRIA_API_KEY": "<secret>",
        "CORE_API_KEY": "<secret>",
        "COURTLISTENER_API_KEY": "<secret>",
        "GOVINFO_API_KEY": "<secret>",
        "GOOGLE_BOOKS_API_KEY": "<secret>",
        "GITHUB_TOKEN": "<secret>",
        "NASA_ADS_API_KEY": "<secret>",
        "EUROPEANA_API_KEY": "<secret>",
        "SEMANTIC_SCHOLAR_API_KEY": "<secret>"
      }
    }
  }
}

claude_desktop_config.json

Step-by-step: add this in Claude

Remote URL or a command on your machine? How the two installs differ

Run on PlugMCP

Host a copy with our keys and logs.

A new server you create. It is not this listing's official endpoint. Use the publisher install when you want their URL and their credentials.

Launch

Related MCP

Related skills

View all

Search, read, and cite across 152 libraries: 11 tools, 3 prompts, and a full-text resource.

Alexandria

by io.github.The-40-Thieves

Search, read, and cite across 152 libraries: 11 tools, 3 prompts, and a full-text resource.

Power your agent

Add this server

The publisher's own command. Not a PlugMCP endpoint.

Local command

npx -y @the-40-thieves/[email protected]

Credentials from the publisher

OPENAI_API_KEY — OpenAI key for routing (library_ask), synthesis (library_answer, library_research), and embeddings (library_ingest). Search and read tools work without it.
ALEXANDRIA_BASE_URL — OpenAI-compatible gateway base URL shared by every LLM role (router, synth, research, embeddings, rerank). Falls back to https://api.openai.com/v1.
ALEXANDRIA_API_KEY — API key paired with ALEXANDRIA_BASE_URL. Falls back to OPENAI_API_KEY.
CORE_API_KEY — Unlocks the core source (CORE, 57M+ open access papers). Free key from core.ac.uk/services/api.
COURTLISTENER_API_KEY — Unlocks the courtlistener source (US federal and state court opinions). Free key from courtlistener.com.
GOVINFO_API_KEY — Unlocks govinfo (Congressional Record, Federal Register, US Code); also accepted by congress and regulations. Free key from api.data.gov.
GOOGLE_BOOKS_API_KEY — Unlocks the googlebooks source (40M+ books). Free key from the Google Cloud Console (Books API).
GITHUB_TOKEN — Unlocks githubsearch and githubmcp (GitHub code search); optional for ghsa and openiti. Public-repo read scope is enough.
NASA_ADS_API_KEY — Unlocks the nasaads source (NASA Astrophysics Data System). Free key from ui.adsabs.harvard.edu.
EUROPEANA_API_KEY — Unlocks the europeana source (50M+ European cultural heritage items). Free key from apis.europeana.eu.
SEMANTIC_SCHOLAR_API_KEY — Optional for semanticscholar and library_recommend; raises the rate limit. Free key from semanticscholar.org/product/api.

Provider

Claude Code

OPENAI_API_KEY=<secret> ALEXANDRIA_BASE_URL=<value> ALEXANDRIA_API_KEY=<secret> CORE_API_KEY=<secret> COURTLISTENER_API_KEY=<secret> GOVINFO_API_KEY=<secret> GOOGLE_BOOKS_API_KEY=<secret> GITHUB_TOKEN=<secret> NASA_ADS_API_KEY=<secret> EUROPEANA_API_KEY=<secret> SEMANTIC_SCHOLAR_API_KEY=<secret> claude mcp add io.github.the-40-thieves-alexandria-mcp -- npx -y @the-40-thieves/[email protected]

Run in a terminal.

Claude Desktop

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "io.github.the-40-thieves-alexandria-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@the-40-thieves/[email protected]"
      ],
      "env": {
        "OPENAI_API_KEY": "<secret>",
        "ALEXANDRIA_BASE_URL": "<value>",
        "ALEXANDRIA_API_KEY": "<secret>",
        "CORE_API_KEY": "<secret>",
        "COURTLISTENER_API_KEY": "<secret>",
        "GOVINFO_API_KEY": "<secret>",
        "GOOGLE_BOOKS_API_KEY": "<secret>",
        "GITHUB_TOKEN": "<secret>",
        "NASA_ADS_API_KEY": "<secret>",
        "EUROPEANA_API_KEY": "<secret>",
        "SEMANTIC_SCHOLAR_API_KEY": "<secret>"
      }
    }
  }
}

claude_desktop_config.json

Step-by-step: add this in Claude

Remote URL or a command on your machine? How the two installs differ

Run on PlugMCP

Host a copy with our keys and logs.

A new server you create. It is not this listing's official endpoint. Use the publisher install when you want their URL and their credentials.

Launch

Related MCP

Related skills

View all

Search, read, and cite across 152 libraries: 11 tools, 3 prompts, and a full-text resource.