io.github.mrfentmen/smithsonian-mcp vs Northwestern University Libraries Digital Collections API
io.github.mrfentmen/smithsonian-mcp is an MCP server published by mrfentmen. Marketplaces we read that list it: 1 (Official MCP Registry). Northwestern University Libraries Digital Collections API is an MCP server published by nulib. Marketplaces we read that list it: 1 (Official MCP Registry). As of our marketplace pass on 2026-10-18. This pair was picked by a reader, not by our comparison rule, so search engines are asked not to index the page.
Where each is published
| Marketplace |  io.github.mrfentmen/smithsonian-mcp |  Northwestern University Libraries Digital Collections API |
|---|---|---|
| Official MCP Registry | Listed Version: 1.0.2 Downloads/month (npm): 698 Downloads/week (npm): 43 Forks (GitHub): 0 Stars (GitHub): 0 Not marked · First seen |
Listed Version: 2.11.15 Downloads/month (npm): 343 Downloads/week (npm): 46 Forks (GitHub): 1 Stars (GitHub): 14 Not marked · First seen |
Each figure is the marketplace's own and is never added up across marketplaces. A marketplace that publishes no figure shows none: no number is not zero.
The facts side by side
| Fact | io.github.mrfentmen/smithsonian-mcp | Northwestern University Libraries Digital Collections API |
|---|---|---|
| Marketplaces that list it | 1 | 1 |
| Stars (GitHub) (differs) | 0 (worse) | 14 (better) |
| Forks (GitHub) (differs) | 0 (worse) | 1 (better) |
| Last release | Not published | Not published |
| Where it runs (differs) | On your machine (smithsonian-mcp) | Remote server (api.dc.library.northwestern.edu/api/v2/mcp) |
| Transport (differs) | stdio | Streamable HTTP |
| Tools it declares | Not published | Not published |
| Environment variables it asks for | Not published | Not published |
| Licence | Not stated | Not stated |
| Repository (differs) | github.com/mrfentmen/awesome-mcps | github.com/nulib/dc-api-v2 |
| Changes in the last 7 days | 0 | 0 |
| First seen | 2026-10-11 | 2026-10-11 |
| Endpoint at the last check (differs) | no remote endpoint we check | Responded 3 days ago |
Lines where the two differ have a tinted background and bold values. Where the data itself says which value is better (more marketplaces, a larger figure of the same marketplace, a fresher release, a verified mark on a marketplace that lists both), the better one is also marked green with ▲ and the worse one red with ▼. Where it runs, the transport, the tools, the settings, hooks, the bundle's parts, the licence and the week's changes are marked only as different: more or fewer is not better in itself.
What each says it does
io.github.mrfentmen/smithsonian-mcp
MCP server for Smithsonian collections: artifacts, art, specimens. Free key.
Northwestern University Libraries Digital Collections API
Agent integration with the Northwestern University Libraries Digital Collections API
How to run each
io.github.mrfentmen/smithsonian-mcp As a local MCP server: npm package
claude mcp add --transport stdio smithsonian-mcp -- npx -y smithsonian-mcpNorthwestern University Libraries Digital Collections API As a remote MCP server
claude mcp add --transport http dc-api https://api.dc.library.northwestern.edu/api/v2/mcpCommands built only from what the marketplaces declare; the full set for every client is on each card.
Only Northwestern University Libraries Digital Collections API has a remote endpoint we check. How we check endpoints
Tools each declares
Neither one's marketplaces publish a list of tools, so there is nothing to compare.
Settings each asks for
Neither one's marketplaces publish the settings it asks for.
What it can do: io.github.mrfentmen/smithsonian-mcp · What it can do: Northwestern University Libraries Digital Collections API · Compare two other plugins
Data comes from the Official MCP Registry (registry.modelcontextprotocol.io), CC0 1.0. Figures come from our own regular passes over the marketplaces, last read on . We publish no contact details for plugin publishers.