The sites listed below are intended as an alternative source for materials for use in personal websites or any other use. Materials or works in the public domain are not subject to copyright law. As such, no permission is needed before downloading. Hopefully, this one-stop-shopping list of compiled public domain sources will assist people seeking content from the Internet so they may be less likely to download materials from other sources in violation of copyright laws.
The following are sites purporting to contain databases
of text, images, graphics, fonts, photos, sheet music and
videos that are in the public domain. Although the
materials at these sites are believed to be in the public
domain, it is not possible to make that determination for
all materials at the sites. Therefore they are provided
with the following disclaimer:
There are no warranties, implied or otherwise,
regarding:
- The fitness for a particular purpose of any materials or works in the respective collections of the sites (“materials or works”);
- The originality or accuracy of the materials or works, nor freedom from corruption either intentional or accidental; and
- Compliance of copyright or other intellectual
property laws by the materials or works. By accessing the
sites compiled here, you agree to use the materials or
works at these sites at your sole risk.
- Books, literature – http://promo.net/pg/index.html
- Books that can be read online – http://digital.library.upenn.edu/books/
- Aesop’s Fables – www.pacificnet.net/~johnr/aesop/
- List of books known to be in public domain – www.cs.indiana.edu/metastuff/bookfaq.html#8
- Variety of books in the public domain – www.bartleby.com/
- Archive of text to classical art songs – www.recmusic.org/lieder/
- Christian classics – www.ccel.org/
- Complete works of Shakespeare – http://the-tech.mit.edu/Shakespeare/works.html
- Historical documents (Western Europe)* – http://eurodocs.lib.byu.edu
- Lutheran Church works(“Project Wittenberg”) – www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/wittenberg/wittenberg-home.html
- Latin Vulgate Bible – http://www.sacredbible.org/
- G.K. Chesterton works and biography*– http://www.cse.dmu.ac.uk/~mward/gkc/index.html
- A beginner’s guide to effective email –
www.webfoot.com/advice/email.top.html
- “Inexpensive” and free samples – http://www.pdimages.com/
- Web graphics (icons and backgrounds) – www.specialweb.com/original/
- Government photos (animals, scenery, miscellaneous nature) – www.photolib.noaa.gov/index.html and http://pictures.fws.gov/
- Background samples – http://wp.netscape.com/assist/net_sites/bg/backgrounds.html
- Celtic clip art – www.fortunecity.com/bally/tipperary/41/clipart.html
- Inki’s Clipart – www.inki.com/clipart/
- Tornado images – http://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/torscans.htm
- Images of American political history – http://teachpol.tcnj.edu/amer_pol_hist/
- Maps1 – www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/index.html
- Oil paintings2 – www.1art.com/download1.htm
- Free clipart and animations – www.barrysclipart.com/
- Free Christmas art – www.christmasgifts.com/freeart.htm
- Clipart for children – www.kidsdomain.com/clip/
- Archive of art3 – www.artchive.com/ftp_site.htm
- Free web graphics – http://my.erinet.com/~cunning1/tiles.html
- Pictures catalogue—National Library of Australia4 – www.nla.gov.au/catalogue/pictures/
- Christian clipart – www.watton.org/clipart/index.htm
- Clipart, photos and fonts5 – www.clip-art-center.com/
- www.pdinfo.com/list.htm (CDs for sale)
- Free choral sheet music - http://www.cpdl.org/
- Free sheet music - www.sheetmusic1.com/NEW.GREAT.MUSIC.HTML
Software
Content:
Links to public domain software
http://www.sunhelp.org/unix-sysadmin-resources/
- Pan American Video - www.Panamvideo.com/
- Public domain films - www.desertislandfilms.com/
1
Subject to conditions at: www.lib.utexas.edu/usage_statement.html
2
Subject to the condition that copies not
be used commercially.
3
Use caution. Some of the art is still
copyrighted. Copy only ancient art.
4
Copies limited to research or education.
Permission required for publication or uploading.
5
Commercial use of any copies
prohibited.