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 using our library catalog .
Or use electronic image collections like
New! WMU Libraries' Image Catalog , (External) ARTstor , (External) AP Images , CAMIO
Locate flat pictures in the Picture File .

An Artist

Do a subject search using our library catalog or Art Abstracts using the artist's last name first, first name second.
Use an image database such as CAMIO or (External) Grove Art Online and check the web links.

A Stylistic Period

Locate books and periodicals by doing a subject search for the period our library catalog .
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 Reference Collection) and World Painting Index (ND 45 .H38 vol.1 & 2, Waldo Library, Reference Collection.)
Still no results? Consult with the art liaison, miranda.howard@wmich.edu .

A Medium

Locate books using our library catalog by doing a subject search for the medium.
Check the CAMIO .

Articles of Clothing and Dress

Use our library catalog 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 our library catalog .
Browse the flat Picture File .

Photograph of Noteworthy Individual or Event

For people and events after 1860 go to the (External) AP Images/AP Multimedia Archive .
For people and events before and after 1860 do a subject search using our library catalog .
Portraits can also be found in CAMIO .

Image of an artistic technique

Go to the (External) CAMEO (Conservation and Art Materials Encyclopedia Online) database
Locate books using our library catalog by doing a subject search for the technique
Or use CAMIO (Catalog of Art Museum Images) database

(External) Google (External) 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 (External) 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 Student Technology lab or the Faculty Technology Center ). For inserting an image into a paper, use a scanned image or a photocopy of a print source.

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