Creative Commons images are a great example for using resources without the need for asking the author for permission, the licenses themselves indicate permission. The Public Domain is another option for searching images available for free use.
Luckily, there are some more options for using images without committing any copyright infringement.
Do you know that you can search for images/videos in our databases?
Several of our databases have multimedia collections that you can browse. The images are copyrighted but can be used for educational purposes. All the materials you use should be properly attributed and cited in your work.
This is probably the most secure option and, moreover, it will add to the authenticity of the content you are creating. There are great online graphic design tools you can use: Canva, Snappa, Fotor, PicMonkey or Pablo. However, this is not always the most convenient option. Consider that the resources you create in these platforms might also be a subject of specific copyright licenses that limit their use.
Rights Statements can be used by cultural heritage institutions to communicate the copyright and re-use status of digital objects to the public. They are developed for the needs of cultural heritage institutions and online cultural heritage aggregation platforms and are not intended to be used by individuals to license their own creations (for this purpose are usually used the Creative Commons Licenses).
You can find more information about Rights Statements here.
Prager, D. (2019, January 25). A Guide to Online Images Copyright and Fair Use Laws. Retrieved from https://www.rivaliq.com/blog/guide-copyright-fair-use-laws-online-images/
Rights Statements. (n.d.). Retireved November 23, 2019, from https://rightsstatements.org/en/
Harris, L. E., Hurst-Wahl, J., and Crews, K. D. (April 3, 2020). Libraries and COVID-19: Considering Copyright during a Crisis [Webinar]. In American Libraries Live. Retrieved from https://alapublishing.webex.com/recordingservice/sites/alapublishing/recording/playback/15d995d8ad444b3f854970397dcf6108?rcdKey=4832534b000000049df1ab550e34b1f53174bdb0f3cb6b126a158dc2e4093e7e054c6eea7dce30ba&timeStamp=1586436410505