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Claude Desktop Northwestern University Libraries Digital Collections API view-collection

How to: Claude Desktop Northwestern University Libraries Digital Collections API view-collection

client:Claude Desktop transport:streamable-http tool:view-collection

Add Northwestern University Libraries Digital Collections API to Claude Desktop

  1. 01

    Open ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json and merge this in. Keep any servers already there.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "dc-api": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-remote",
        "https://api.dc.library.northwestern.edu/api/v2/mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}
  1. 02

    Save the file and restart Claude Desktop.

  2. 03

    Ask for something view-collection does. Claude Desktop lists the server's tools on connect and calls view-collection itself — you do not invoke it by name.

  3. 04

    If nothing happens, check the server is running and that Northwestern University Libraries Digital Collections API's identifier in your config matches the one above exactly.

Claude Desktop has no remote transport in its config file, so this bridges through mcp-remote. Restart the app after saving. Claude Desktop docs

Same tool, other clients

This list was read from the server itself, by connecting to it and calling tools/list on 24 September 2026. It is what the server actually exposes, not what its listing claims.

Mutating and Read-only are read off each tool's name, not its schema — a hint, not a guarantee. The registry stores tool names only; connect the server for its live schemas.