Illuminating images!
The Library has a number of sources of copyright-free images which you can use in your assignments and University work. Why not explore some of the resources listed below in order to enrich your projects with illuminating images?
Images can be a persuasive addition to your argument, but should be considered critically as with any source. Remember to reference images appropriately, giving credit to the original source.
Finding images
You can access the following databases through the Library website, or follow the links below.
MediaHub - includes still images, video and audio covering all subjects, selected especially for use in Higher Education. MediaHub also acts as a portal to many other online image collections and allows you to search across all the collections with one click!
Bridgeman Education Gallery – includes images of paintings, sculpture, architecture and museums and galleries
Other databases include both text and images, but allow you to search for images only. Examples of these are Oxford Art Online, Credo Reference and Science Direct.
University image collections
Students can also take advantage of the Visual Resource Centre (VRC), based in the HUMSS building in room G27L. The centre holds a large collection of slides, digital images and video relating to Art, Architecture, Classics and History. Students from any subject area are welcome to use the VRC, although most of its material relates to Arts and Humanities.
Image search engines
There is also a wealth of images available online, some of which are made available for non-commercial use in project work and presentations. These are labelled as Creative Commons i
mages. You can find these by using a number of search engines and photo-sharing websites, including Flickr. Using Flickr's advanced search option you can limit your searches to include only Creative Commons content. For further guidance on using images legally, see the University's advice on copyright
This is one of a series of tips to help you save time and effort finding or using information.
This tip was written by David Brown, former Liaison Librarian for History and GCMS, and Natalie Picken, Multimedia Manager.
February 2012
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