Browse Images
Finding Images Online and in Libraries Databases
Use these online databases and websites to find images. Images at these sites are free to view, but they might require licensing or attribution for use in creative projects. Learn more about copyright of online images at this guide: Finding and Using Public Domain and Openly Licensed Media.
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Artstor This link opens in a new windowArtstor is JSTOR's cross-disciplinary collection of over 2 million rights-cleared images from around the world, discoverable alongside JSTOR's journals, books, and other primary sources on one feature-rich platform.
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Digital Media Repository This link opens in a new windowThe Digital Media Repository, a project of Ball State University Libraries, serves as a platform to bring together the digital collections and activities of the University Libraries in a single, cohesive, and accessible web-based environment. Browse by Collection, or select Format to view artwork and photographs.
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Getty Research Institute Digital CollectionsUse the Getty Search Gateway to find digitized materials from the Getty Research Institute's collection. Materials include over 2.5 million digital images of rare and public domain books, photographs, prints, manuscripts, sketchbooks, and archives.
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Google Art ProjectThe Art Project is a collaboration between Google and 151 acclaimed art partners from across 40 countries. Quality images of more than 30,000 works of art from painting and sculpture to architecture and drawings.
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LUNA CommonsLUNA Commons contains collections of images of items, such as documents, artifacts, photographs, drawings, maps, and buildings from all periods of time. Each image is accompanied by information about the item.
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Wikimedia CommonsWikimedia Commons is a searchable website with access to images, sounds, and videos that have been uploaded by users, typically with the intent for use on Wikipedia. Most of the content on the site is available under a Creative Commons license.
Find other image databases provided by BSU Libraries at A-Z Databases. Just select the filter type "Images," and you should see about 30 results.
Finding Images in OneSearch
You can also use OneSearch to find images and books of images within the Libraries' collections. Be sure to use the filters on the left pane or through Advanced Search to refine your results.
Select the filter "Image," for example, if you only want to see single images. You'll want to select "Book/eBook," if you're looking for books of images. Additionally, selecting the filter "Library Catalog" will remove web results, if you only want to see items in the Libraries' physical and digital collections.
About Public Domain and Creative Commons
See the guide Finding and Using Public Domain and Openly Licensed Media for a list of websites with images in the public domain or shared under Creative Commons. Images from these websites should be safe for your use!