Subject Expert
Office: JFK Library, U02C
Email: imiller@ewu.edu
Text or phone: 509.818.0559
Meet with Me (Office Hours):Wednesdays & Thursdays 3-5pm or by appointment, in person or via zoom.
Use the Schedule Research Consultation button above, for Mon-Fri 9-6pm. If you need to meet during the evening or weekend, please email me.
Questions to Ask Yourself
Three questions you'll need to ask yourself when looking for images.
1. Is it really an image of X?
Pay close attention where the image is from, so you are not using an image of a different place, or a fake or altered image.
This guide offers suggestion on where to look for images, as well as evaluation criteria.
2. How can I legally use the image?
This guide discusses the licensing of images and fair use practices when using images for educational purposes.
3. How do I cite the image?
Just like any source you use, you need to give credit for the image. This guide discusses the elements to citing an image, and gives examples for APA format.
Databases and Free Resources for Images
Recommended Databases
The library subscribes to a couple databases that have a great deal of "authority control," or experts tagging the images accurately. They also insure that you can use the image for educational purposes.
- Artstor This link opens in a new windowOver 2.5 million images of art, architecture, photographs and videos from art museums from around the world. Keyword search or browse by collection, type, or geography.
Create an individual account to download the images. Downloaded images can be used in the classroom and non-commercial educational use. - MasterFILE Premier (EBSCOhost) This link opens in a new windowClick Images at the top to search specifically for images. Includes around 1 million images.
Free Repository of Public Domain Images
This site offer quality images that you can download, and have been tagged with the information you need to for citations.
- Getty Search Gateway - Open Content ImagesOver 100,000 high quality images that Getty has tagged as in the public domain. Images include tags of what it is, date, photographer, etc.
Click View Record to download the image.
Search for Images by Creative Commons Licensing
- UNESCO World Heritage SitesIs your place a UNESCO World Heritage Site? The descriptions of each site include a Gallery of images. Click on the image to view the description and a link to download the image.
Those that are owned by UNESCO have a Creative Commons license ShareAlike 3.0 (give credit, and if you modify it, you have to also license it ShareAlike 3.0).
Others are copyrighted by the photographer, but the description includes the licensing, if any. - Google ImagesKeyword search for images via Google, then to filter, click on Tools, and Usage Rights to limit to images with Creative Commons licensing.
Easiest site to skim the results and see where the image is from, to hopefully find one from an official site or institution. - Wikimedia CommonsAround 80 million media files that individuals have uploaded with Creative Commons licensing.
After keyword searching, use the filters to narrow by type of Creative Commons license. No restrictions is the most open one. - Creative Commons Image Search - OpenverseKeyword search, then use the filters on the left to narrow by type of license -- CC0 and Public Domain Mark are the most open.
Note that the filter by Source doesn't always work. - Flickr Public Domain SearchSearch Flickr's large collection, but limited to those images with "no known copyright."
However, it isn't always accurate. Double check the usage restrictions on each image by clicking on the image and reading the description. Can download images in different sizes.
Flickr has content uploaded by institutions as well as individuals. Be picky - go for ones from institutions (note who uploaded it by hovering over the image), and ones where the uploader fully described the image.