Guide to Finding Images or Pictures
Overview
This guide provides only selected sources. If you do not find what you are looking for, please ask at the various References Desks for further help or Ask a Librarian.
Image sources cover still images in a variety of formats including print in books, periodicals or flat pictures; photographs; slides; and digital images. Generally, each source contains materials limited by criteria such as format, subject, medium, genre, etc.
What are you looking for?
Specific Subject or Image Content
You have several options:
- Locate images in books and periodicals by doing a subject search in library catalog.
- Or use electronic image collections like ARTstor, AP Images, CAMIO
- Locate flat pictures in the Picture File.
An Artist
- Do a subject search on WestCat or Art Abstracts using the artist's last name first, first name second.
- Use an image database such as CAMIO or Grove Art Online and check the web links.
A Stylistic Period
- Locate books and periodicals by doing a subject search for the period in WestCat.
- A Title of a Work of Art
- Go to imagebases such as CAMIO first.
- If this doesn't yield the desired result use image indexes such as Index to Reproductions of European Paintings: A Guide to Pictures in More than Three Hundred Books (ND 45 .M6, Waldo Library Ref) and World Painting Index (ND 45 .H38, Visual Resources Library, Ref.)
- Still no results? Consult with the Visual Resources Library staff.
A Medium
Articles of Clothing and Dress
- Use WestCat to locate books on clothing and dress by a specific time period by using a subject or keyword search combining clothing and dress and the time period. Also, a subject search for clothing and dress periodicals , fashion photography , or fashion illustration will yield a variety of sources.
Architecture
- Locate images in books and periodicals by doing a subject search in WestCat.
- Browse the flat Picture File.
Photograph of Noteworthy Individual or Event
- For people and events after 1860 go to the AP Images/AP Multimedia Archive.
- For people and events before and after 1860 do a subject search in WestCat.
- Portraits can also be found in CAMIO.
Image of an artistic technique
- Go to the CAMEO (Conservation and Art Materials Encyclopedia Online) database
- Locate books in WestCat by doing a subject search for the technique
- Or use CAMIO (Catalog of Art Museum Images) database
Google image searching is a good option for contemporary and cutting edge works of art and recent events.
How is this image going to be used?
- If the image is going to be used to illustrate a presentation in class or a term paper, copyright clearance is not necessary. You may use an image for classroom instructional purposes under Title 17 of the US code.
- If the image is going to be used in a publication, Web site, or transferred to another medium for sale (for posters, T-shirts, brochures, etc) or distribution outside of the University community, copyright and licensing agreements must be arranged. Perform a Google search for the owning institution's contact information. You may wish to contact the Visual Resources Librarian for assistance with obtaining clearance.
What format do you need?
- Consider how you are going to be using the image. If the image is going to be projected you can use a slide or a digital image (get help at the Instructional Technology lab). For inserting an image into a paper, use a scanned image or a photocopy of a print source.
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