InfoGuides: ITDL 205 Grand Challenges: Clean Water: Finding Images

Last Updated: Sep 16, 2025 2:14 PM

Finding Images

Below are some sources for finding Creative Commons licensed or public domain images. Remember to give credit when attribution is required!

If you have questions as you begin your research, please feel free to contact me – I am always happy to help!

Artstor on JSTOR
Artstor includes over 2 million images covering art, architecture, archaeology, and photography; all available for use in research and teaching. Images come with high-quality metadata from collection catalogers, curators, institutions, and artists themselves. DONATED: From the C. B. Neblette Collection on Photography and Reprography and a gift from Harold R. and Marian Condit.
HeinOnline
HeinOnline is the world's largest fully searchable, image-based government document and legal research database. It contains comprehensive coverage from inception of both U.S. statutory materials and more than 2,300 scholarly journals, all U.S. treaties, all of the world's constitutions, collections of classic treatises and presidential documents, and access to the full text of state and federal case law powered by Fastcase.
AP Newsroom
AP Newsroom contains breaking news, feature stories, photographs, graphics and audio clips produced by the AP’s network of award-winning journalists, who operate in more than 250 locations worldwide. Contains 170 years of news stories, 12 million historical and contemporary images and an extensive collection of audio clips.

Creative Commons Search
Photographers, designers, artists, and other content creators can assign Creative Commons licenses to their works. This is an easy way to allow others to use your work for their projects without jumping through an array of legal hurdles. Search for Creative Commons licensed resources to use in your own projects.
Flickr
Many Flickr images contain Creative Commons licenses (see above). Be sure to use the Creative Commons filter to find images you can easily reuse.
Google Images
When looking for public domain or creative commons licensed material, use the "Usage Rights" filter or add site:.gov to the end of your search to locate image on government websites.
Pexels
Download free, high-resolution stock images that have been licensed for reuse without attribution or added to the public domain.
Pixabay
Download free, high-resolution stock images that have been licensed for reuse without attribution or added to the public domain.
IconFinder
Find vector icons to use in your publications; use the "license type" and "price" filters to find free options that are licensed for reuse.
Noun Project
Find icons and other small-scale images added by graphic designers from around the world explicitly to be reused and shared by others. All free icons must include an attribution statement when reused.