Zotero MCP Server

Zotero MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that integrates with Zotero, allowing AI applications to access and manipulate Zotero libraries.

Built with the official MCP Python SDK following the latest MCP paradigms and best practices.

Features

• Search for items in Zotero libraries
• Get citations and bibliographies
• Add new items to Zotero libraries
• Access collections and items
• Support for both personal and group libraries

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/your-username/zotero-mcp-server.git
   cd zotero-mcp-server
   

2. Create a virtual environment:

   python -m venv venv
   

3. Activate the virtual environment:

   • On Linux/macOS:

     source venv/bin/activate
     

   • On Windows:

     venv\Scripts\activate
     

4. Install dependencies:

   pip install -r requirements.txt
   

Configuration

1. Copy the example environment file:

   cp .env.example .env
   

2. Edit the .env file with your Zotero API credentials:

   ZOTERO_API_KEY=your_api_key_here
   ZOTERO_USER_ID=your_numeric_user_id_here
   # ZOTERO_GROUP_ID=your_group_id_here  # Uncomment to use a group library
   

   You need to set either ZOTERO_USER_ID (for personal libraries) or ZOTERO_GROUP_ID (for group libraries).

3. If you're not sure how to find your Zotero user ID, run:

   ./find_zotero_id.py
   

Usage

Running the Server

python src/server.py

The server will start and listen for JSON-RPC requests on standard input/output.

Testing the Server

./simple_test.py

This will run a series of tests to verify that the server is working correctly.

Integration with AI Applications

The Zotero MCP server can be integrated with AI applications that support the Model Context Protocol. See the USAGE_GUIDE.md file for detailed examples.

Available Resources

• zotero://collections: List of collections in the Zotero library
• zotero://items/top: Top-level items in the Zotero library
• zotero://items/recent: Recently added or modified items in the Zotero library
• zotero://collections/{collection_key}/items: Items in a specific Zotero collection
• zotero://items/{item_key}: Details of a specific Zotero item
• zotero://items/{item_key}/citation/{style}: Citation for a specific Zotero item in a specific style

Available Tools

• search_items: Search for items in the Zotero library
• get_citation: Get citation for a specific item
• add_item: Add a new item to the Zotero library
• get_bibliography: Get bibliography for multiple items
• create_collection: Create a new collection in the Zotero library
• update_item: Update an existing item in the Zotero library
• delete_item: Delete an item from the Zotero library
• get_item_types: Get list of all available Zotero item types
• get_item_fields: Get available fields for a specific item type

Documentation

For more detailed information, see:

• USAGE_GUIDE.md: Comprehensive usage guide
• test_client.py: Interactive test client
• simple_test.py: Simple test script
• find_zotero_id.py: Helper script to find your Zotero IDs

License

MIT

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.