A Model Context Protocol Server for the UK Science Museum Group API

By opensourcedev90s GitHub

MCP Server for the UK Science Museum Group

Overview

What is the UK Science Museum Group MCP?

The UK Science Museum Group MCP is a Python Model Context Protocol server that enables large language models (LLMs) to fetch data from the UK Science Museum Group API.

How to use the UK Science Museum Group MCP?

To use the MCP, install the UV package, configure Claude Desktop settings to add the MCP server, and start querying the server for data from the UK Science Museum Group.

Key features of the UK Science Museum Group MCP?

Fetches data from the UK Science Museum Group API.
Supports integration with Claude Desktop for MacOS and Windows.
Provides a configuration setup for easy access to the MCP server.

Use cases of the UK Science Museum Group MCP?

Enabling LLMs to access and retrieve museum collection data.
Assisting researchers and developers in building applications that utilize museum data.
Facilitating educational tools that require access to science museum resources.

FAQ from the UK Science Museum Group MCP?

What is the purpose of the MCP server?

The MCP server allows LLMs to interact with the UK Science Museum Group's data, enhancing the capabilities of applications that require museum information.

Is the MCP server free to use?

Yes! The MCP server is open-source and free to use.

What are the system requirements for running the MCP server?

The server is compatible with MacOS and Windows, requiring the installation of the UV package.

Content

A Model Context Protocol Server for the UK Science Museum Group API

This project is a Python MCP (https://modelcontextprotocol.io/introduction) server that allows your LLM to fetch data from the UK Science Museum Group. Info is available at https://github.com/TheScienceMuseum/collectionsonline/wiki/Collections-Online-API#get-search.

It is currently supported by Claude Desktop for MacOS and Windows.

Integrate with Claude Desktop

All you need is to install UV, a Python package/ project manager, then change your Claude Desktop settings to add this MCP.

For MacOS:

brew install uv

For Windows:

powershell -ExecutionPolicy ByPass -c "irm https://astral.sh/uv/install.ps1 | iex"

OR with winget:

winget install --id=astral-sh.uv  -e

Other installation options are available at https://docs.astral.sh/uv/getting-started/installation.

To configure Claude Desktop, go to Claude Desktop's settings -> Developer, edit config.

This will create a configuration file at:

macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

Open this file and change it to:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "scienceMuseum": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "science-museum-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Opening Claude Desktop should now start the MCP server, and Claude can be queried. As an example:

Anthropic's own instructions for this step are here - https://modelcontextprotocol.info/docs/quickstart/user/.

Developing

This section is for anyone who wants to contribute to the codebase.

Setup and Install Dependencies

Clone the repository.

The project is configured to use uv (Install link: https://docs.astral.sh/uv/#installation) for dependency management and building. It uses npx (Install link: https://www.npmjs.com/package/npx) to run the MCP inspector.

Create a virtual env with

uv venv

And install dependencies with

uv pip install -r pyproject.toml

Run the inspector with

./inspector.sh

The inspector should output the localhost URL for accessing its UI.

Running Unit Tests

source .venv/bin/activate
pytest

Publishing

This is currently a manual process I can do. This will be changed to a Github action if the project gets any development from now on.

No tools information available.

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