Digital Literacy Libguide
Digital literacy is the ability to locate, evaluate and use digital information.
The ability to use information and communication technologies to find, evaluate, create, and communicate information, requiring both cognitive and technical skills. (ALA)
Copyright and fair use for images
Images are subject to the laws of copyright and intellectual property. Before using a copyrighted image, you must determine if you can claim that your use falls under the Fair Use guidelines, explained here. If it does not, you will need to pay to use the image or find a different image that is copyright-free. (Not all images are restricted by copyright, but most are.)
Copyright Free Images
What if I need free images?
To find images that you can use in any publication for free, you will want to look for royalty-free or public domain images.
Royalty-free refers to the right to use copyrighted material or intellectual property without the need to pay royalties or license fees. This means you may be able to use these copyrighted works for free.
Similarly, images in the public domain do not have a copyright Images in the public domain may also be used for free.
Although these images may not require you to pay for their reuse, you still need to read any terms and conditions associated with their use. For example, does the creator or archivist of the image want to be cited? (Probably.) And, if you're planning on manipulating or changing the image, is that allowed by the creator? (Be sure to read!)
However, if you are creating a work for academic purposes, you may not even need to worry about reusing copyrighted images or paying royalties;
Copyright Free Images
When publishing online, please respect the intellectual property of others. If you are using images, sound or video files that you did not create yourself, be sure to use copyright-free files. DO NOT GOOGLE AND CUT AND PASTE.
Search by image and find the source. Be sure to credit the source.
Music- Royalty Free: Don't simply download any music, use public domain and other "rights free" or "rights-light" audio material.
Copyright Free Video: Before use, double check the license. Check the applicable license terms of every single video to ensure you have the necessary permissions.
Youtube allows creators to mark their videos with a Creative Commons Attribution license (CC-BY).
Steps to locate CC-BY videos on YouTube.
Step 1: Search for your keyword in the Youtube search bar
Step 2: At the results pages, click Filter > Creative Commons
Step 3: The results shown will be filtered down to those marked CC-BY by the creator
Art In the Public Domain
Source Vetting: Searching the internet is quick and easy, and can be a great source for relevant, quality information. Proceed with caution and check the facts of the resources you use.
We've all heard of "misinformation." Navigating information in today's world can be tricky, but the links below can help you spot unreliable sources, detect bias, and evaluate your resources.
A memorable acronym for source evaluation
An acronym to help you evaluate persuasive techniques in advertisements
Tracks changes made to already-published articles