Finding Public Domain Texts, Images and Music
Introduction
The following guide lists useful sources for finding public domain texts, images, and music. Works in the public domain are creative works that are not protected by copyright law and are free for the public to use as they wish.
Common misconceptions regarding public domain:
- An item is not public domain just because it sits on the Internet, and just because someone claims an item on the Internet is public domain doesn't mean it really is.
- Just because there is not a © followed by a date and copyright owner's name on an item does not mean that a work is not under copyright protection.
- Just because a © is on an item does not mean it is still under copyright.
- An item being "out of print" is not the same as an item's copyright having expired.
Unfortunately, there is not a master list of all items in the public domain, therefore, you often need to determine the status of a work yourself. In establishing whether or not an item is in the public domain, the following points are useful to remember:
- Everything published in the United States before 1923 is in the public domain.
- Works published 1923-1963 in the United States whose copyright was not renewed are in the public domain.
- Foreign works published before 1909 are in the public domain.
- Foreign works published 1909-1923 with copyright notices are in the public domain.
- Works created by a U.S. federal government officer or employee as part of the person's official duties are public domain. This would include items published by the U.S. Government Printing Office; IRS publications; supreme court decisions; official speeches, letters and documents by the President among many other items.
The following sources provide useful information on copyright and public domain:
Copyright Resources
A list of useful copyright resources on the Internet with emphasis on the educational environment. Provided by Mudd Library.
How to Investigate the Copyright Status of a Work
This U.S Copyright Office circular details how one might research copyright status and provides some basic copyright information.
Public Domain: How to Find & Use Copyright-Free Writings, Music, Art & More.
Useful copyright information that is easy to use, including information on durations, gray areas in the law, International copyright protection and
foreign copyright policies. Addresses the law specifically as it relates to text, images, and music and includes a lot of information on how the Internet
relates to public domain.
Ref. KF3022.Z9 F57 2001
When Works Pass Into the Public Domain
Items published at different times have different terms of copyright protection. This timetable summarizes durations of copyright for items
published in the United States. Provided by the Cornell Copyright Information Center
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Texts
Sources for texts in the public domain include the following:
Seeley G. Mudd Library: Many public domain items are sitting on the shelf of Seeley G. and other libraries. These include:
- Items published in the United States before 1923.
- Works published 1923-1963 in the United States whose copyright was not renewed.
- Foreign works published before 1909.
- Foreign works published 1909-1923 with copyright notices.
- Reprints of the original item that have not been altered.
U.S. Federal Government: Works by the U.S. federal government are public domain. These includes works written by employees as part of their official duties, most items published by the U.S. Printing Office, as well as speeches, letters, and documents of the president among other materials. Most United States Government Documents are not cataloged in LUCIA.
Catalog of U.S. Government Publications
From GPO Access, this is a free version of the Monthly Catalog. Can be used to locate publications distributed through the Federal
Depository Library Program.
GPO Monthly
Catalog
Catalog of U.S. government publications, covering 1976 - current. Searchable in many
ways, via FirstSearch.
You might also want to take a look at the library's Guide to Understanding the Government Document Numbering System before you head to the Documents shelves on the second floor.
Web Resources:
Project Gutenberg
FTP site for many public domain texts. Searchable by author, title, or subject.
Bartleby
A select collection of public domain fiction and reference
works.
Internet Public Library
The IPL Online Texts Collection contains over 15,000 titles that
can be browsed by author, by title, or by Dewey Decimal Classification. Allows
full text searching of titles.
On-Line
Books Page
Indexes books available from different
websites. Not everything included is public domain; copyrighted works are listed
if the holder granted permission for "personal, non-commercial on-line
use." Includes a listing of periodicals and is search-able by author,
title, or LC classification. Special lists include banned books and prize
winners. Lists sources for more English language and foreign language texts.
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Images
There are many public domain art images and photographs to be found in the Library--in books, magazines, and newspapers. If the item is in the public domain, you can copy the illustrations.
Clip Art Collections:
Dover Pictorial Archive
Dover publishes many public domain image collections. These can be
pulled-up
in the online catalog, LUCIA, by doing a
Keyword Anywhere search for dover and archive
Encyclopedia of Source Illustrations. 2
vols.
Reprint of 12,000 steel engravings that originally appeared in the Iconographic Encyclopaedia of Science, Literature and Art
published in Philadelphia in 1851. Includes sections on Mathematics and Astronomy; Physics and Meteorology; Chemistry, Mineralogy and Geology; Botany;
Zoology; Anthropology and Surgery; Geography and Planography; History and Ethnology; Military Sciences; Naval Sciences; Architecture; Mythology and
Religious Rites; Fine Arts and Technology.
q. AG6 .H413
U.S. Federal Government: Any photos taken by U.S. Government employees are automatically public domain. Note: the Smithsonian Institute and the National Gallery of Art do not count as pure government agencies and the U.S. Postal Service claims copyright on stamp designs after 1978. U.S. Government seals, logos, currency, and characters have restrictions.
National Archives and Records Administration
NARA is an independent Federal agency that oversees the management of all Federal records. You can use the
Archival Research Catalog (ARC) to search for digital images from their
collection; see the Frequently Asked Questions for help on using the search form. Many other images can be found on the NARA website. Browse the online exhibit
hall and the resources for educators and students.
NASA Image Exchange
Searchable and browseable database of many digital photographs.
American Memory Project
A project sponsored by the Library of Congress which provides access to primary source material. Note: not all
materials are public domain. Copyright restrictions are listed for each collection.
Photographs and Digital Copies of Public Domain Art Works: Copyright status of photographs of public domain art works remains a gray area in the law. While much of the artwork in museums is in the public domain, photographs of public domain artwork may be copyrighted, requiring a license to use such photographs. The same is true of the digital copies of photos found on museum and other web sites. Owners often claim copyright of these images, but it remains to be seen whether such claims would hold up in court. Many museums make allowances for personal and educational use.
Art Images for College Teaching
AICT is a royalty-free image exchange resource for the educational community. Organized by Allan T. Cole of the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, the emphasis is on ancient, medieval, and Renaissance European art and architecture reflects the author's research and teaching interests.
Focuses on sculpture and architecture.
Art History Resources on the Web
Large directory of art resources broken down by period: Prehistoric, Ancient, 15th-20th centuries. Also lists by artist and
geographic region and links to other image resources, museums, and research sites on the web. Includes a special section on photography.
Artchive
A large directory of images maintained by Mark Harden. Broken down by artist and movement. Note: not everything on
this site is public domain.
Yahoo-Museums, Galleries and Centers
List of museum and gallery websites.
Search Engines for Finding Images:
Image Banks: There are many companies that sell images. Two popular image banks with searcheable databases are Corbis and ImageBank from Getty Images.
More:
For more information on searching for images, refer to the library's Finding Images Online page.
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Music
Seeley G. Mudd Library: Many public domain items are sitting on the shelf of Seeley G. and other libraries. These include:
- Items published in the United States before 1923.
- Works published 1923-1963 in the United States whose copyright was not renewed.
- Foreign works published before 1909.
- Foreign works published 1909-1923 with copyright notices.
- Reprints of the original item that have not been altered.
Web Resources:
PD Info Public Domain Music
Provides useful information on finding and using public domain songs
and music.
The Free Sheet Music Guide
A directory of free sheet music on the Internet broken down by musical genre.
Musica Viva
Includes a directory to other Internet sites for free scores.
Includes their own free sheet music archive of solo and chamber literature.
www.music-scores.com
Scores availabe in PDF files. Public domain scores available by 40 different
composers. Emphasis on standard solo and chamber repertoire.
Mutopia Project
A small but growing collection of downloadable score in the spirit on Project Gutenburg. Browseable by composer, instrument, or
musical style
My Sheet Music
PDF files of classical music, hymns, children's songs, folk songs, Christmas carols and more. Piano and vocal literature heavy, but some
orchestral as well. You must register for a free membership to be able to view titles.
Variations Project
The online scores portion of the Variations digital library project at Indiana University. It is an experimental prototype, but does provide access to
a nice array of public domain scores from operas to piano literature.
Choral Public Domain Library
PDF files of scores in the public domain.
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Definitions of terms and abbreviations:
Ref. = Reference collection, first floor
RRef.= Ready reference, shelves behind the reference desk
Periodicals = Current issues; Level A
Periodical Back Files = Level A
GovDoc = U.S. Government Documents, second floor
Reference Indexes = Alphabetically arranged at the end of the reference collection
Microform Area = Reading room east of the reference desk, near microform drawers
q. = Oversized books: interfiled in reference and M class scores; at end of classes in other collections
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