Reduce the rights worry with asset sources that contain public domain and creative commons materials.
Click the title of the asset source to visit that site. All links will launch a new tab in your browser.
| Title | About | Publisher | Copyright Level | Asset Types |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Public Domain Images from the Smithsonian | A Flickr account with public domain images from the Smithsonian collections. | Smithsonian | Public Domain | still images |
Public Domain Images from the New York Times | A collection of public domain images that were published in the New York Times prior to January 1, 1923. | New York Times | Public Domain | still images |
Project Gutenberg | A collection of books in the public domain, accessible in a variety of formats. | Project Gutenberg | Public Domain | text/books |
LibriVox | A collection of audiobooks that are in the public domain and available for free. | Librivox | Public Domain | text/books |
Prelinger Archives | Digitized film and archival footage collection from the public domain. | Prelinger Archives | Public Domain | motion graphics |
Sources for the Public Domain Works | Libguide that contains a number of public domain sources for different media including written works, music, movies, maps, and visual arts. | University of Montana | Public Domain | multiple types |
Open Text Library | A collection of open-licensed textbooks. Subject include: Accounting & Finance, Business, Computer Science & Information Systems, Economics, Education, Engineering, Humanities, Journalism, Media Studies, Communications, Law, Mathematics, Medicine, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, and Student Success. | University of Minnesota | Creative Commons | text/books |
OER Commons | A curated collection of open-licensed textbooks. Subjects include: Applied Sciences, Arts & Humanities, Business & Communication, Career & Technical Education, Education, English Language Arts (ELA), History, Law, Life Science, Mathematics, Physical Science, Social Science. | OER Commons | Creative Commons | text/books |
Creative Commons Search | A search tool that drills into 19 different collections with public domain and creative commons visual assets. | Multiple Publishers | Mixed Levels | still images |
Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) | Top level search tool that drills into multiple libraries and collections including multiple states’ digital libraries, Library of Congress, Artstor, Getty and others. | Multiple Publishers | Mixed Levels | multiple types |
eScholarship | Scholarly publications from the University of California system. The database contains both articles published directly to the platform and papers that have been added to the repository for preservation. | California Digital Library | Public Domain | articles/journals |
Movie Licensing USA | Movie licenses for Disney, Lionsgate, WB, and other large studios. | Copyrighted Licensing Entity | motion graphics | |
Umbrella License | Subscription licensing for public display for DreamWorks and 20th Century Fox films. | Copyrighted Licensing Entity | motion graphics | |
Children’s Books | Collection of 67 digitized children’s books from the 19th and 20th centuries, including biographies, nonfiction, and nursery rhymes. | Library of Congress | Public Domain | text/books |
UCLA Children’s Book Collections | A collection of over 1800 children’s books, dating from 1728 – 1999, digitized and hosted at the California Digital Library. | California Digital Library | Public Domain | text/books |
Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature | A collection of 6000 historical children’s books, fully digitized. | University of Florida Smathers Libraries | Public Domain | text/books |
The Public Domain Project | Thousands of historical and archival video clips, audio files, stills, and 3D models. This resource is particularly good for military footage and footage from every day life. | Pond5 | Public Domain | multiple types |
MusOpen | Recordings, sheet music, and music related textbooks open for use without copyright restrictions. | MusOpen | Public Domain | audio |
e-LIS | International Open Access repository for Library and Information Science. | e-Prints in Library Information Science | Creative Commons | articles/journals |
Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) | Searchable database of scholarly articles available without licensing fees. | Institute of Education Services | Creative Commons | articles/journals |
If you feel like something’s missing, or have a resource you feel should be here, shoot me a line over on Contact.