Digital Image Resource

Defining the term 'digital image resource' without using those words in the definition presents a challenge. Its definition seems to be self-explanatory; it is a digital resource of images. Beyond this, there are some implications attached to the phrase that need to be met especially in order to achieve the title of a good digital image resource.

• High resolution
  High resolution and TIF images must be available through the resource. 
• Metadata
  Metadata should be attached to the images to provide any and all relevant information regarding the image including title, artist/creator, description, copyright status, etc. 
• Search-ability
  The database must be searchable and easily navigated by the user. Ideally related images would be connected. 

The main purpose of most digital image resources, often stated within their own mission statement, is scholarship and teaching. Thus a large percentage of their user demographic is made up of students, professors, and historians. Besides these users, many databases are open to public access and are useful for anyone with a need for digital access to images.

Below are listed some examples of especially useful digital image databases:

Artstor
http://www.artstor.org/
"Founded with a mission to enhance scholarship and teaching through the use of digital images and media, Artstor is a nonprofit organization committed to digital collection solutions for universities, museums, schools, and libraries worldwide."

• 1.9 million images 
• Variety of contributors worldwide including museums, private collectors, libraries, and universities 
• Image collection is inclusive 

Catalog of Art Museum Images Online (CAMIO)
http://camio.oclc.org/
"Fine and decorative art images from leading museums"

• 95,000 images 
• Contributors include major museums worldwide 
• Focused on images from museums and museum caliber collections of art 

Art and Architecture
http://www.artandarchitecture.org.uk/index.html

• More then 40,000 images 
• Contributors include the Courtauld Institute of Art and its Gallery, the Conway Library, and independent photographers 
• Focused on images of fine art and architecture 

Art Resource
http://www.artres.com/C.aspx?VP3=CMS3&VF=ARTHO1_3_VForm
"Art Resource, the worlds largest photo archive of fine art, offers a range of material from prehistoric times to the present. We carry the works of almost every major museum in Europe, and function as the official rights and permissions representative for many institutions in the United States and abroad."

• More than 3 million images 
• Contributors includes major museums, monuments, and archives 
• Focused on images of fine and minor arts including paintings, sculpture, architecture, and monuments 

Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Online Catalog
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/
"The Prints and Photographs Online Catalog (PPOC) contains catalog records and digital images representing a rich cross-section of still pictures held by the Prints & Photographs Division and, in some cases, other units of the Library of Congress."

• 1.2 million images 
• All images are from the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs and other divisions 
• Includes photographs, fine and popular art, posters, and architectural drawings 
• Scope is international, though focus is on the United States and the American people 

Getty Images
http://www.gettyimages.com/
"Getty Images is among the world’s leading creators and distributors of award-winning still imagery, video, music and multimedia products, as well as other forms of premium digital content, available through its trusted house of brands, including iStock© and Thinkstock©."

• More than 50 million images 
• Focus is on original photography, though images of works of fine art are included 
• Downloading images is not free, however viewing images and embedding images on a non-commercial website/blog is free (http://www.gettyimages.com/resources/embed) 

A useful list including some of these and other digital image resources is maintained and updated by the NYU Institute of Fine Arts.
https://www.nyu.edu/gsas/dept/fineart/research/online-image-resources.htm




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Sources

Green, Harriett E.1, green19@illinois.edu, and Angela2, ancourtn@indiana.edu Courtney. "Beyond The Scanned Image: A Needs Assessment Of Scholarly Users Of Digital Collections." College & Research Libraries 76.5 (2015): 690-707. Library & Information Science Source. Web. 3 Oct. 2015

http://vraweb.org/digital-image-resources/

https://www.nyu.edu/gsas/dept/fineart/research/online-image-resources.htm

http://www.artstor.org/mission

https://www.oclc.org/support/services/worldcat-org/documentation/dbdetails/details/CAMIO.en.html

http://press.gettyimages.com/about-us/getty-images/

http://www.artandarchitecture.org.uk/about/how_to_index.html

http://www.artres.com/C.aspx?VP3=CMS3&VF=ARTHO1_4_VForm&Flash=1&FRM=AboutUs_MainMenuContent:ARTHO1_6

http://www.loc.gov/pictures/about/