Research Guides (LibGuides): Digital Storytelling: Finding Images/Media

Need a Reminder About Copyright / Creative Commons?

This LibGuide has a video and links to refresh your memory.

Google Images
Click on the Search Tools button to see helpful limiters, including image size, color, type, time, etc.

Google Images search with arrow pointing to Search Tools button

Not filtered by license - Results will include images that are protected under copyright (All Rights Reserved). They may be usable under Fair Use with proper attribution, but we recommend that you select another option.
Reuse - Results will be Creative Commons or public domain images that allow you to reuse them. Look for the individual license to know what specifically you need to do to reuse the image. Alt. term: free to use or share.
Modification - You can change these images however you would like. Include adding borders, making collages, etc
Noncommercial use - You cannot use these images for commercial purposes.

American Memory from the Library of Congress
Browse by topic to come across great photos and more.
Digital Collections of New York Public Library
This site is a living database with new materials added every day, featuring prints, photographs, maps, manuscripts, streaming video, and more.
Getty Research Institute Open Content Images
The Getty makes available, without charge, all available digital images to which the Getty holds the rights or that are in the public domain to be used for any purpose. No permission is required. (Link may not work in Internet Explorer; try another Browser such as Firefox)
Metropolitan Museum of Art Image and Data Resources
On February 7, 2017, The Metropolitan Museum of Art implemented a new policy known as Open Access, placing 375,000 Artworks In The Public Domain For Unrestricted Use.
NGA Images (National Gallery of Art)
More than 50,000 open access digital images up to 4000 pixels each are available free of charge for download and use.
National Archives: Digital Photography Collections
British Museum: Online Collections
Most content in the collection online is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) licence.

Wikimedia Commons
Large collection of public domain and Creative Commons images, sounds, maps, and other media.

FINDING A WIKIMEDIA IMAGE:

Browse through categories or use the search feature at the top of the page. Images are nested in categories and folders; if you don't appreciate their search interface, remember that Google Image searches will return items within Wikimedia Commons.

FINDING A LICENSE FOR A WIKIMEDIA IMAGE:

If you can get to the Image File page, you'll be set. You may have to click on "More Details about this File" to get to this page.

There are helpful options to the right of the image on this page. You can download the file and get information about how to reuse the file in various ways. License information, image url, and author information is provided.

Wikimedia Commons image file page

License information is provided in an easier way if you continue to scroll down on this page. There will be a section labeled "License" that gives an explanation of the image license and links to additional information too.

Wikimedia commons image license

Internet Archive: Audio
This library contains recordings ranging from alternative news programming, to Grateful Dead concerts, to Old Time Radio shows, to book and poetry readings, to original music uploaded by our users. Many of these audios and MP3s are available for free download.
Soundcloud: Creative Commons
Curated collection of Creative Commons-licensed tracks from Soundcloud users
Freesound Project
"The Freesound Project is a collaborative database of Creative Commons licensed sounds."
Creative Commons: Legal Music for Videos
A listing of sites with Creative Commons-licensed music and guidelines for how to use Creative Commons music

Creative Commons Search
Portal for searching various sites for Creative Commons images, audio, video, and other media. Select a site to begin your search; your currently selected site will be highlighted in light blue.
WikiPaintings
Need art? Check out WikiPaintings for beautiful, high-resolution images of fine art.
Flickr
You will need to apply a Creative Commons limiter to your search results.
Getty Images
A select part of Getty Images is open for reuse; however, you must embed the photos instead of downloading and reusing.
The Public Domain Project
Download thousands of historic media files for your creative projects, all in the public domain.