Recommended library databases
The Library offers databases which exclusively or in part contain images on a wide range of subjects. Take a look at our recommendations or consult the complete list.
- JSTOR ImagesArtstor content has moved to JSTOR: Over 2 million images from top museums, archives, scholars, and artists managed by Artstor, as well as the uOttawa institutional collections and other openly accessible image and primary source collections. Viewing, presenting, organizing and sharing options are available. Try the new experience on JSTOR. To view only uOttawa institutional collections, go to the Browse menu item and select Your Institution’s Collections. NOTE: If you had a personal account in Artstor, use it to log in to JSTOR and find your image groups under Workspace.
Finding images
Searching for images in Google, Flickr or one of the library's databases?
Need to insert images in your paper, presentation or blog?
Creative Commons-licensed and public domain images
Images in the public domain or under a Creative Commons licence are free to use. The platforms below aggregate or contain these types of images. Look for the Creative Commons icon or acronym to determine the conditions of use.
- Flickr - Search and then filter by licence under "Any license"
- Pixabay - All images under Pixabay licence (similar to CC0)
- Pexels - All images under Pexels licence (similar to CC0)
- Visual Hunt - Under various CC licences; search and then filter by licence type
- Unsplash - All images under Unsplash licence (similar to CC0)
- Burst - All images under Burst licence (similar to CC0)
- Noun Project - Icons and images under various Creative Commons licences
- Open Clip Art - All images in the public domain (CC0)
More recommendations
If you want to illustrate something specific with an image, you may want to start your research using aggregators, stock photography or archive collections.
Image aggregators
- Google Images
- Openverse (formerly Creative Commons Search)
Stock photography
Stock photos are not automatically free. They are usually made available under three types of licences:
- Public domain: free to use for a variety of purposes without purchasing a licence
- Royalty-free: right to use the photo under some restrictions in exchange for a one-time payment
- Rights-managed: right to use the photo ONCE under circumstances specified by the licence in exchange for payment; additional uses require additional licence and payment
Examples:
Archives
- Library and Archives Canada Collection Search in images (select "Images" from the drop-down menu)
- World Digital Library (Library of Congress with support of UNESCO)
- Flickr: The Commons (public photography archives from participating institutions)
More sites we like
Many Internet memes take the form of an image. See them before they spread :
