Recommended Digital Repositories to Explore
These digital repositories – often referred to as digital archives or archival gateways – pull together and make available digitized archival collections from many different libraries and archives. This type of system interoperability – sharing digitized collections among multiple repositories – is possible due to metadata standards like Dublin Core.
Includes Public Domain and/or Creative Commons Works
They include both types of freely usable digital assets, or one of these types. Your must review each item record to determine the type of license, and the license requirements if Creative Commons.
- Wikimedia CommonsWikimedia Commons is a media file repository of free images (photos, illustrations, maps, etc.), videos, sounds and other multimedia files. Content includes Creative Commons licensed, GNU Free Documentation licensed, or public domain content. Check the Licensing field on each item.
- Flickr CommonsFlickr Commons is a subset of Flickr that provides access to photos free of copyright restrictions from partnering cultural institutions located throughout the world. These images are designated with a "no known copyright restrictions" statement.
- Flickr Creative CommonsMany Flickr users have chosen to offer their work under a Creative Commons license, and you can browse or search through content under each type of license.
Includes Copyrighted and Public Domain Works
They include both copyrighted and public domain works. You must review each item record for its respective rights information.
- Digital Public Library of America (DPLA)Includes digitized primary sources from libraries, archives, and cultural heritage institutions throughout the U.S. Some of the digitized items reside in the public domain. Check the Rights Information on each item record to confirm copyright status. Public domain works can be found by filtering your searches on "Unlimited Re-Use".
- CalisphereIncludes digitized primary sources from the University of California campuses, as well as other libraries and archives from throughout California.
- Portal to Texas HistoryIncludes digitized primary sources from libraries and archives throughout Texas, and collections about Texas.
- HathiTrustHathiTrust is a partnership of academic & research institutions, offering a collection of millions of digitized publications from libraries and archives around the world. It includes many public domain and open access works, which are available to the public. Access to collections still under copyright are restricted to only certain libraries.