Library Image Databases
- ARTstor This link opens in a new windowRepository of hundreds of thousands of digital images, from across many periods and cultures. Architecture, painting, sculpture, photography, decorative arts, design, and other forms of visual culture are represented. Provides tools to actively use images for scholarship, teaching, and learning.
- Art and Architecture Complete This link opens in a new windowArt & Architecture Complete provides full-text coverage of 380 periodicals and more than 220 books. In addition, this database offers cover-to-cover indexing and abstracts for more than 780 academic journals, magazines and trade publications, as well as for over 230 books. Art & Architecture Complete also provides selective coverage for 70 additional publications and an Image Collection of over 63,000 images provided by Picture Desk and others.
Free Online Images
- Advanced Google ImagesUnder usage rights, select Creative Commons licenses.
Can I Use That Image?
As tempting as it can be to simply use Google Images, you need to resist that urge! In order to follow copyright law, you need to use images that are specifically marked as being allowed for re-use by others. If you do not use such an image, you are stealing someone else’s property.
Follow the "Can I Use That Image" flowchart below to double check your usage is allowed. The chart's text is small, so you can hold the Control key down and press the + key to zoom in and the - key to zoom back out.
Remember to cite your images and give the artist attribution, even if you're allowed to use them under Copyright Law!
Image credit: This handy chart is from a Lifehacker article written by staff writer Patrick Allan.