Public-domain images (mostly!)

http://mciunix.mciu.k12.pa.us/~spjvweb/cfimages.htmlIf you actually need to use that image for some practical purpose—for a project, a poster or a story in the CN&R, you have to be careful about not infringing on any copyrights. That’s why this editor often skips Google and does his image searching at sites that offer public-domain, or free, images, and Springfield Township High School in Erdenheim, Pa., has a great listing of links to a variety of just such sites. At the top of the list is the U.S. government’s graphics and photos database of image collections, such as NASA’s Earth as Art site featuring painterly views of our planet from space (the psychedelic Von Karman Vortices along the Aleutian Islands is a beauty). There are links to historical documents (Treaty of Paris, anyone?), famous works of art, military images, wildlife images, Clip Art and GRIN, or Great Images in NASA, featuring images from throughout the history of space exploration. Be careful, though: Not every image is automatically free to use. Read each site’s copyright info and make sure you’re covered.