Using Images
What images can I use?
As Wikipedia aims to be a free resource they have a very strict Image Use Policy. It is easiest to use images that are:
- Your own work: You own all rights to the image, usually meaning that you created it entirely yourself.
- Freely licensed: You can prove that the copyright holder has released the image under an acceptable free license. Note that images that are licensed for use only on Wikipedia, or only for non-commercial or educational use, or under a license that doesn't allow for the creation of modified/derived works, are unsuitable. Important note: just because you did not have to pay money for the image does not mean that it is "free content" or acceptable for use on Wikipedia. The vast majority of images on the internet are copyrighted and cannot be used here – even if there is not a copyright notice, it is automatically copyrighted from the moment of creation. When in doubt, do not upload copyrighted images.
- Public domain: You can prove that the image is in the public domain, i.e. free of all copyrights.
Attribution
When you use a photo you always provide "attribution", this is so others can find the photo and know who created the image as well. Here is information on how to provide correct Attribution: https://wiki.creativecommons.org/wiki/Recommended_practices_for_attribution.
If you'd like to schedule a consultation, please contact Sarah Christensen, Visual Resources and Outreach Specialist, at schrstn@illinois.edu.
Science Specific Image Collections
Below are quick links to public domain or creative commons image content for ease of searching! If you need more options please see the library Guide on Finding Images and Video, but be aware that that guide includes a lot of content subject to copyright and may not be suitable for a Wikipedia entry; please ask librarians if you have questions.
- Bassett Collection of Stereoscopic Images of Human AnatomyThese images are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International license.
- Cell Image LibraryThe Cell Image Library™ is a freely accessible, easy-to-search, public repository of reviewed and annotated images, videos, and animations of cells from a variety of organisms, showcasing cell architecture, intracellular functionalities, and both normal and abnormal processes. The purpose of this database is to advance research, education, and training, with the ultimate goal of improving human health.
- MedPixMedPix® is a free open-access online database of medical images, teaching cases, and clinical topics, integrating images and textual metadata including over 12,000 patient case scenarios, 9,000 topics, and nearly 59,000 images. Our primary target audience includes physicians and nurses, allied health professionals, medical students, nursing students and others interested in medical knowledge.
- NASA Image and Video LibraryNASA content - images, audio, video, and computer files used in the rendition of 3-dimensional models, such as texture maps and polygon data in any format - generally are not subject to copyright in the United States.
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Digital LibraryThe U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video, most of which are in the public domain.
- USGS Water Science Photo GalleryPhotographs divided into albums such as "water from the air," "water quality," and "satellite views of water."
Interdisciplinary Image Collections with Public Domain or Creative Commons Licenses
Below are quick links to public domain or creative commons image content for ease of searching! If you need more options please see the library Guide on Finding Images and Video, but be aware that that guide includes a lot of content subject to copyright and may not be suitable for a Wikipedia entry; please ask librarians if you have questions.
- The CommonsHosted by Flickr, The Commons is a public photo collection that began in 2008 as a collaboration between Flickr and the Library of Congress. It has since expanded to include the collections of over 45 institutions including NASA, the Imperial War Museum, and the New York Public Library.
- Critical CommonsCritical Commons is a public media archive and fair use advocacy network that supports the transformative reuse of media in scholarly and creative contexts.
- Explore Chicago CollectionsServing as a gateway to archival resources about Chicago, Explore Chicago contains over 100,000 digitized images covering the city's architecture, people, politics, history, culture and more.
- mission 21/ Basel Mission Image ArchiveThe archives of mission 21 / Basel Mission contain historical photographs, written records, printed and hand-drawn maps, and building plans about the "intersection of African, European, and Asian cultures from 1850-1950." The images were taken in the historic Basel Mission fields in Africa and Asia, with a principal focus on Ghana, Cameroon, South India (mainly Karnataka and Kerala), South China (mainly Hakka-speaking parts of the Guangdong province and Hong Kong), and Kalimantan. Users can search by keyword, or browse by theme, geographic location, named individuals, institutions, photographers, or original series grouping.
- New York Public Library Digital CollectionsNew York Public Library's Digital Gallery provides free access to 550,000 images from rare primary sources in the NYPL's collection, including including illuminated manuscripts, historical maps, vintage posters, rare prints and photographs, illustrated books, printed ephemera, and more. Although one won't find well known artworks here, the variety of resources found provides extraordinary supplemental information.
- OpenVerseA search engine for openly licensed media by Wordpress
- PixabayWhat is in the collection: Pixabay images are free-to-use public domain images that don’t require crediting the original author. Please note that Pixabay also displays links to Shutterstock images, which are clearly marked and proprietary.
Usage information: Most images are in the public domain and may be re-used for any purpose. Images of certain content (ex: people, trademarked objects, private property) may have certain usage restrictions. For more information, see Pixabay FAQ. - Smithsonian Institution Research Information System (SIRIS)The SIRIS image gallery contains over 266,000 images from several archival repositories and museums at the Smithsonian Institution. The content of the images is wide ranging, including categories such as aircraft, Latino culture, and American gardens. Images are organized by medium, culture, and archive. In addition, the collection offers extensive search capabilities. The Smithsonian welcomes you to make fair use of the content as defined by copyright law.
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Digital CollectionsThe digital collections of the Library of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are built from the rich special collections of its Rare Book & Manuscript Library; Illinois History and Lincoln Collection, University Archives; Map Library; and Sousa Archives & Center for American Music, among other units. The collections include historic photographs; maps; prints and watercolors; bookplates; architectural drawings and blueprints; letters and other archival materials; videos; political cartoons; and advertisements. They cover a wide range of subject areas including Illinois and American history, music, theater history, and the history of the University of Illinois, among others. The Library’s digital collections provide access to some of its most unique holdings for teaching, learning, and research for students, scholars and the general public.
- UnsplashFind open and free to use images here.
- Wellcome ImagesDeveloped by the Wellcome Library, one of the world's major resources for medical history, Wellcome Images mainly focuses on images related to medicine and biomedical science. However, there are numerous disciplinary images and galleries, and the over 100,000 freely available high resolution images makes this collection worth looking at.
- Wikimedia CommonsThe WikiMedia Commons makes available public domain and freely-licensed educational media. Maintained by volunteers, users can upload their own images, request images, identify images, and subscribe to syndicated feeds.
Kelli Trei, Biosciences Librarian
Biology Librarian
Contact:
Biosciences Librarian: Kelli Trei, Liaison to the Schools of Life Sciences in LAS: Molecular & Cellular Biology, Integrative Biology, and the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology
218 Funk ACES Library
1101 S. Goodwin Ave., M/C 633
Urbana, IL 61801
218 Funk ACES Library
1101 S. Goodwin Ave., M/C 633
Urbana, IL 61801
(217) 244-2503
Website
Subjects: Biology