Images For Your Projects

This was posted by Beth Martin on LM-Net (Library Media Coordinator, DC Everest Middle School IMC)
April 21st 2011

We know that the image feature in google is popular with students and teachers because it is so easy to use. But the truth is that most of the images found on google are protected by copyright and require permission.
 
Librarians often call google images the “shark tank” of copyright. Students need to be aware that giving credit is not the same as having permission to use an image. We recommend students and teachers try one of
these “copyright friendly” sites instead. Be sure to pay attention to the “terms of use” for each of these sites. It can vary for each website and even for individual images within one website. (* denotes sites that do not require attribution)
 
DK Clip Art: 
Explore thousands of images from leading illustrated publisher Dorling Kindersley. Perfect for illustrating homework, school projects and generally being creative, you can browse the clip art by A-Z or by school subjects. DK holds the copyright but allows users to download, copy and display the images for your own personal, home and school use.

*EduPic Graphical Resource 
Educpic Graphical Resource is a teacher designed free image resource for educators and their students. All images contained within are free for use by education professionals and the students they serve without permission.
 
Free Digital Photos.net 
FreeDigitalPhotos.net is one of the best places on the web to download free photos for use in corporate and personal projects. The images can be used by web designers, graphic designers and editors to illustrate and brighten up websites and printed media such as newspapers and magazines. Please see the terms of use for more information on acceptable use of these images.
 
*Imagebase Free Photos 
A searchable database of free stock images with full permission to use the photos without attribution. Most images are high resolution.
 
Library of Congress: Prints and Photographs Online Catalog 
The Prints and Photographs Online Catalog (PPOC) contains catalog records and digital images representing a rich cross-section of still pictures held by the Prints & Photographs Division and, in some cases, other units of the Library of Congress. The Library of Congress offers broad public access to these materials as a contribution to education and scholarship.
 
*Microsoft Office Online
Download royalty-free clip art, photos, illustrations, animations, sounds, borders, icons, backgrounds, and more for Microsoft Office products.
 
*Morguefile
Thanks to the generosity of contributors, this site provides thousands of free pictures, which you can use and remix, even in commercial applications. Attribution is not required.
 
NASA Images 
The most comprehensive compilation of NASA stills, film and video. Students may use the images for school projects as long as they credit NASA
 
New York Public Library Digital Collections  The Digital Gallery provides free and open access to over 700,000 images digitized from the The New York Public Library's vast collections, including illuminated manuscripts, historical maps, vintage posters, rare prints, photographs and more. Some of the images in the Digital Gallery may be subject to third party rights such as copyright and/or rights of privacy/publicity. Before using any of these images please review the Library's Terms and Conditions.
 
Pics4Learning.comhttp://www.pics4learning.com 
Pics4Learning is a copyright-friendly image library for teachers and students. The Pics4Learning collection consists of thousands of images that have been donated by students, teachers, and amateur photographers. Unlike many Internet sites, permission has been granted for teachers and students to use all the images donated to the Pics4Learning collection.

Smithsonian Images
An amazing collection of photos on history and science. Students and teachers are may use these photos for personal and educational purposes. You must credit the Smithsonian and the photographer. See copyright section on the website for more detail on how these images may be used.
 
Wikimedia Commons:
Unlike traditional media repositories, Wikimedia Commons is free. Everyone is allowed to copy, use and modify any files here freely as long as the source and the authors are credited according to the author’s requirements.

Tips For Using Google Images (..if you must)
If you use the advanced search option in Google Images you can narrow your search to include only images where permission has been granted to use the image. Click on “Usage Rights” and choose “Labeled for Reuse” from the dropdown menu. It limits the amount of images returned but at least you know you can use them. Remember the images don’t belong to Google. The search engine “mines” them from other websites. Just below the image is the site name. Go to the original website and cite the photo properly from there. Be sure you have permission to use the image.