Frequently Asked Questions

What is Texas Heritage Online?

Texas Heritage Online provides unified online access to Texas' historical documents and images for use by teachers, students, historians, genealogists, and other researchers. It has been developed by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission and the Texas Heritage Digitization Initiative, a cooperative project to identify, describe, digitize, preserve, and make broadly accessible special collections of history and culture held by libraries, archives, museums, historical societies, and other institutions in Texas.

How do I search for an item using Texas Heritage Online?

To search items using Texas Heritage Online, simply type your keywords in the search box and click the "Search" button or hit "Enter" on your keyboard. When you see the results page, click on the title of the picture you want to view; this will take you to a page with more information about the item and a link to the original image.

What is the difference between searching and browsing?

Searching allows you to look for a particular item in multiple collections without leaving Texas Heritage Online. Currently, the number of collections you can search is fairly limited, although we expect to add more collections every month. You can also browse through collections that have been put online by institutions across the state. By following the link to a collection, you can use the search features within the collection or in your browser to find specific items.

Are the images I find using Texas Heritage Online copyrighted?

Copyright on most of the images you will find using Texas Heritage Online has expired, so they have entered the public domain. However, there may be license restrictions imposed by the institution that created the digital image. Although you can locate and access the images through our service, we cannot grant you any rights to use them for any purpose other than viewing them on the web. If you would like to use any images you have found using Texas Heritage Online, please contact the institution who provided the image to obtain permission.

I have a collection of images relating to Texas History. How can I add them to Texas Heritage Online?

Libraries, archives, museums, societies, and government agencies can submit their sites for inclusion in Texas Heritage Online by emailing thdi@tsl.state.tx.us or completing our online survey form. At this time, we do not plan to add content from individuals or to license content from for-profit corporations. If you own a collection of images and would like to make them freely accessible through Texas Heritage Online, contact your local library or museum for assistance.