How to Use the Library of Congress MCP in VS Code Copilot

Q: How do I retrieve full-text documents from the Library of Congress in VS Code Copilot?

Your agent runs gettextservice or getresource using the item's identifier. This pulls the raw OCR text or document pages directly into your active workspace.

Q: Can I filter my searches by specific file formats?

Yes. The searchformat tool lets you restrict your search to specific media types like audio, maps, or photos.

Query the Library of Congress directly from VS Code Copilot using this MCP Server.

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Connect Library of Congress MCP to VS Code Copilot

Create your Vinkius account to connect Library of Congress to VS Code Copilot and route execution through our secure gateway. The platform manages server hosting, runtime updates, and security layers. Configuration requires no manual server provisioning.

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Setup Library of Congress with VS Code Copilot

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Search the Library of Congress with this MCP Server

Run broad queries across millions of documents using the `search` and `search_format` tools. This allows your development team to query the national archives and extract relevant records directly from the chat sidebar. You don't have to leave the editor to search for historical assets. Just filter results by specific formats like manuscripts or maps, and let the agent handle the query construction.

Retrieve item metadata and collections

Pulling structured data is efficient when you use `get_item` to extract complete bibliographic records. Your agent can read the returned JSON to understand the provenance, date, and origin of any cataloged item. For deeper research, use `list_collections` and `get_collection_items` to navigate the hierarchy of the digital archives. It's the easiest way for your team to build precise cataloging tools or research databases with accurate metadata.

Access digitized files and OCR text services

Fetching raw content is handled by `get_resource` and `get_text_service` for digitized assets. These tools allow your agent to read OCR text, scan word coordinates, and fetch specific pages of historical documents. If you're working with visual media, call `get_image_info` to retrieve technical IIIF specifications. This workflow gives your team the exact endpoints needed to render historical images in your applications.

Setup guide

Set up Library of Congress MCP in VS Code Copilot

Prerequisites

VS Code 1.99 or later with GitHub Copilot extension
Active Vinkius subscription with a valid endpoint token

1

Open MCP configuration

Open the Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P / Ctrl+Shift+P) and run "MCP: Add Server". Select HTTP (Streamable) as the server type. VS Code will create .vscode/mcp.json in your workspace.
2

Add the Library of Congress MCP

Paste the JSON snippet shown on the right into your .vscode/mcp.json. Replace [YOUR_TOKEN_HERE] with your endpoint token from cloud.vinkius.com.
3

Switch to Agent mode

Open Copilot Chat (Cmd+Shift+I / Ctrl+Shift+I) and switch to Agent mode using the dropdown. MCP tools are only available in Agent mode — they do not appear in Edit or Ask modes.
4

Verify the connection

In the Copilot Chat input, type # to list available tools. You should see the Library of Congress tools listed. Try asking: "List my recent Library of Congress transactions" and Copilot will invoke them automatically.

.vscode/mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "library-of-congress-mcp": {
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp"
    }
  }
}

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Independent Platform Disclaimer: Vinkius is an independent platform and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, verified by, or otherwise authorized by Library of Congress. All third-party trademarks, logos, and brand names are the property of their respective owners. Their use on this website is strictly for informational purposes to identify service compatibility and interoperability.

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Common questions about Library of Congress MCP in VS Code Copilot

Ask the chat agent to search for a historical topic. It will invoke the `search` tool and present the matching items directly in your editor.

Yes. By committing a shared configuration file to your repository, every developer on your team gets immediate access to the tools.

Your agent runs `get_text_service` or `get_resource` using the item's identifier. This pulls the raw OCR text or document pages directly into your active workspace.

Yes. The `search_format` tool lets you restrict your search to specific media types like audio, maps, or photos.

The server only handles public historical text, OCR data, and catalog metadata. All tool executions are ephemeral, running in a secure, isolated sandbox that never logs your queries or persists your team's research data.

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