Images: Images from UW Libraries

Guide to high-quality image databases and resources. Interdisciplinary image content, search strategies, evaluating images, & image citation guide.

Image Databases Available from the UW Libraries

The UW Libraries provides access to the following image databases and collections. Please log in for off-campus access to UW restricted resources.

UW Digital Collections
Photographs, documents, and audiovisual resources from the UW Libraries, UW faculty and departments, and from UW collaborators.
UW Image Bank [UW restricted]
Cultural production from diverse time periods and world cultures, and major monuments of world art and architectural history.
UW Libraries Historical Visual Materials Collections
Research materials from the UW Libraries Special Collections, including photographs, architectural plans, postcards, historical maps, artwork and ephemera. Most of the items relate to various aspects of the Pacific Northwest, its history, geography, arts, and industries.

How can I use UW restricted images?

Images in UW restricted databases have some restrictions on use.

Typically, images can be used for:

student papers
student presentations or multimedia projects
faculty classroom presentations
course online environments restricted to UW only

Without additional permission from the vendor, images cannot be used for:

open webites or projects posted to the open web
commercial or for-profit products or projects
faculty publications
print brochures for public distribution

Each image database has slightly different use requirements. Please read each databases's conditions-for-use statement if you are not sure if your use would be acceptable.