PaperLabYour research library, inside Claude Desktop
PaperLab includes an MCP server, so Claude Desktop, Claude Code or another MCP client can work with your library. It offers four tools: search_library finds the passages closest to a question in the library or one workspace, get_paper reads a paper’s details, outline and notes, related_papers finds connected papers, and create_note saves a note on a passage Claude quotes exactly, marked AI. Connect Claude sets it up for your system.
What you can do
- search_library: passages closest to a question, in the library or one workspace.
- get_paper: a paper’s details, section outline, workspaces and every note with its author.
- related_papers: library papers connected to one, up to three links away.
- create_note: a note on a passage Claude quotes exactly, marked AI and highlighted.
- Connect Claude fills in the config for macOS, Windows or Linux and checks the connection.
Tips
- Keep PaperLab running (Keep running in Settings) so Claude can reach it with the window closed.
- Ask Claude to quote passages with pages, then open them in PaperLab to check.
Questions people ask
What does Claude receive?
What its tools return: passages, paper details, workspace names and notes. Claude Desktop sends those to Anthropic with the conversation.
Does it work with Claude Code?
Yes, with claude mcp add. Connect Claude shows the exact command.
Can Claude change my notes?
It can add notes on passages it quotes, always marked AI. It can’t edit or delete yours.
Works well with
Guides
- How to chat with a PDF locally, without uploading it — Ask papers questions with a local model, and check every answer against the page.
- How to use Claude Desktop with your papers — Connect your local library to Claude through MCP, and what gets sent.