mendeley-mcp and mcp-zotero
Both tools are competing MCP servers that expose operations for different reference managers, Mendeley and Zotero respectively, as tools for Claude.
About mendeley-mcp
pallaprolus/mendeley-mcp
MCP server for Mendeley reference manager - search, retrieve, and manage your academic library from Claude and other MCP clients
Implements OAuth2-based authentication with secure local credential storage in system keyrings, exposing seven tools that enable library search, metadata retrieval, DOI lookup, and catalog access through the Mendeley REST API. Runs locally via stdio transport with automatic token refresh, requiring only client credentials and a Mendeley developer app registration, with deployment options via pip, Docker, or direct installation.
About mcp-zotero
Xevos117/mcp-zotero
MCP server that exposes Zotero library operations as tools for Claude. Supports searching, browsing collections, adding items by DOI, importing PDFs with fulltext indexing, open access PDF discovery via Unpaywall, and injecting Zotero citation field codes into .docx documents.
Built on the Model Context Protocol, it uses a **self-documenting architecture** where workflow instructions and tool guidance are embedded in MCP's `instructions` field, enabling LLMs to discover full functionality without external docs. The server implements 15 tools across library operations, PDF management, and citation injection, with optional Claude skill support for sandboxed citation injection in Claude Desktop and Claude.ai Projects (which lack filesystem access). Configuration supports granular safety controls via `UNSAFE_OPERATIONS` to prevent accidental deletions, and integrates with Unpaywall for open-access PDF discovery.
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