Finding OER Images

There are many high-quality OER image collections available to use. Please take a moment to explore some of these open image collections below. Note: We will take a deeper dive into open licenses, Creative Commons licenses, and attributions next!

General Image Collections

• UnsplashLinks to an external site.: High-resolution photographs. NOTE: Photos that indicate "iStock" or "Unsplash+" are not free to use; you can avoid those.
• Wikimedia CommonsLinks to an external site.: Huge image library. Scroll down to browse image categories in the “Content” box or use the search bar in the upper-right.

• PexelsLinks to an external site.: A large selection of high-quality free stock photos and royalty-free images.

• FlickrLinks to an external site.: After you search, use the “Any license” drop-down menu in the upper-left corner to filter to various open licenses.
• Art Institute of ChicagoLinks to an external site., Cleveland Museum of ArtLinks to an external site., The Met Open Access CollectionLinks to an external site., Smithsonian Open AccessLinks to an external site..
• Library of Congress “Free to Use and Reuse”Links to an external site. image sets.

Diverse and Inclusive Image Collections

• All GoLinks to an external site.: A collection of stock photos featuring plus-size office workers.

• Centre for Aging BetterLinks to an external site.: Positive and realistic images of older people.

• Disabled and Here CollectionLinks to an external site.: Photo collection featuring disabled Black, Indigenous, people of color.

• Disability:INLinks to an external site.: Disability-inclusive stock photography. 

• Dollar StreetLinks to an external site.: Photographs of families, their homes, and how they live around the world.

• Gender Spectrum CollectionLinks to an external site.: Stock photos of trans and non-binary people.

• Human Development InstituteLinks to an external site.: Images featuring people with disabilities. 

• Images of EmpowermentLinks to an external site.: Images of women’s lives and work.
• NappyLinks to an external site.: High-resolution photos of black and brown people.

• Open PeepsLinks to an external site.: Hand-drawn, mix-and-match illustration library.

• PICNOILinks to an external site.: Stock photo library of diverse multi-racial images.

• Queer in Tech CollectionLinks to an external site.: Photoset of queer and gender-nonconforming (GNC) people in technology.

Icons

• Noun projectLinks to an external site.
• Redefining WomenLinks to an external site.: Diverse icons of women, hosted by the Noun Project
• Flat Icon Links to an external site.

Google Images: Filtered Search

• After searching Google ImagesLinks to an external site., click the “Tools” option
• Then choose "Usage Rights"
• Now select "Creative Commons licenses"

Page Adapted from "Teaching with OER and Open Pedagogy for Equity" by Aloha Sargent and College of the Canyons, for the California Community Colleges’ Zero Textbook Cost Degree program, is licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Diverse and Inclusive section adapted from "Open Image CollectionsLinks to an external site." by Abbey Elder for Iowa State University LibraryLinks to an external site., licensed under CC BY 4.0Links to an external site.