Dutch University Hits Major Milestone with 50 Free Digital Textbooks
Delft, Tuesday, 24 March 2026.
TU Delft has revolutionized educational accessibility by publishing 70 open-access resources, including interactive textbooks with quizzes and animations that bring complex engineering concepts to life. This Diamond Open Access initiative eliminates costs for both authors and students while reaching learners worldwide, demonstrating how universities can democratize technical education and reduce financial barriers to learning.
Milestone Achievement in Open Education
TU Delft OPEN Publishing has reached a significant milestone with the release of its 50th Open Textbook and 20th Open Interactive Textbook [1]. This achievement, announced on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, represents a total of 70 educational resources that are freely available to readers worldwide while maintaining low or no publishing costs for authors [1]. The initiative supports open education principles and demonstrates the Dutch university’s commitment to making knowledge accessible globally [1].
Diamond Open Access Publishing Model
The university operates under a Diamond Open Access publishing model, which eliminates financial barriers for both authors and readers [1]. Through TU Delft OPEN Publishing, lecturers receive support from the Library Education Support team to publish high-quality educational materials under a CC BY license [1]. This licensing framework allows readers to freely use, share, and re-use the resources while providing proper attribution to authors [1]. The model significantly reduces or removes costs for authors compared with traditional publishers, making academic publishing more accessible [1].
Interactive Learning Technologies
The Open Interactive Textbooks represent a technological advancement in educational publishing, incorporating features designed to engage readers through active learning [1]. These digital resources include quizzes, assessments, drop-down menus, videos, animations, and interactive plots and diagrams that transform static equations and theoretical concepts into dynamic learning experiences [1]. The interactive elements are designed to bring complex engineering and scientific theories to life, making abstract concepts more comprehensible for students worldwide [1].
Global Impact and Future Expansion
The publications serve not only TU Delft researchers and educators but extend their reach to learners and lecturers worldwide, expanding access to high-quality educational materials from one of Europe’s leading technical universities [1]. By lowering barriers to use and reuse of educational content, TU Delft OPEN Publishing contributes to the university’s mission of global knowledge sharing and strengthens TU Delft’s recognition as a leader in open education [1]. The Education Support team at TU Delft Library actively welcomes submissions from university lecturers who wish to publish open textbooks, encouraging broader participation in the initiative through their email contact at educationsupport-lib@tudelft.nl [1]. This expansion strategy aims to continue growing the repository of freely accessible educational materials and further democratize access to technical and scientific education [1].