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News

08 March 2025

Open textbooks from idea to publication with the TU Delft Library

Author: Merel Engelsman TU Delft encourages its lecturers to develop and apply open textbooks wherever possible. The TU Delft Library offers support for the publication process: from first idea to online publication, with a central role for Jacqueline Michielen-van de Riet of Education Support. In 2018, the department of Education Support launched its Open Textbooks service. It has since yielded tenths of open textbooks, used both within and outside of TU Delft. “It offers important advantages for both lecturers and students,” Jacqueline says. “Lecturers can adapt the material to exactly fit their educational needs. And students no longer need to purchase expensive books, of which they may only use a few chapters.” Get in contact Jacqueline Michielen-van de Riet Personal support It is up to the lecturer to decide on the exact subject matter, but there’s a lot more to publishing an open textbook. “We offer support for all the peripheral matters in the publication process,” Jacqueline says. “In the very early days, I spent most of my time ensuring that all images used were royalty-free. After all, the idea of an open textbook is that anybody, anywhere in the world can use the text and images it contains. For their own lectures or syllabus, for example.” By now, Jacqueline guides the entire process, from initial idea to publication of the textbook at leading global websites for open educational resources – from drafting and monitoring deadlines to applying for ISBNs. In this, she is supported by a colleague who is present at the intake interview and by several colleagues who perform the similarity check (plagiarism scan) and design the book cover. I really enjoy having personal, immediate interactions with the lecturers. And even though the material content may be out of my league, it brings me a lot of fulfilment when a textbook is completed. Jacqueline Michielen-van de Riet Open textbook in a day Naturally, lecturers are committed to convey their course material as effectively as possible, addressing any gaps in commercial textbooks and students' prior education. Still, it does take some effort to bring lecturers and support together. What has certainly helped is the onetime ‘Open Textbook in a Day’ workshop that the library organised. “With or without a preexisting course syllabus, the workshop offered participants a solid foundation.” Pioneering and promoting Since then, things have really taken off, largely due to word-of-mouth referrals for the support provided. Some lecturers have already begun working on their second open textbook. Those interested can of course contact the Open Textbooks service, or first consult the Guide: Create your open textbook! to which Jacqueline has contributed. “It took a lot of pioneering to establish our open textbook support service,” Jacqueline says. “We shared our experiences in several presentations within the Libraries Open & Online Education working group.” A bit like Open Education on Open education. “We hope it jumpstarted similar efforts by other universities and universities of applied sciences.” Next up: interactive open textbooks The number of open textbooks published this year will almost double compared to last year. So, plenty of demand for support, and there is no lack of appreciation either. “Lecturers are clearly pleased with the support we provide. We often receive thank you emails or an invitation for the official book presentation. But the best reward is when a lecturer forwards us an email from someone on the other side of the world, mentioning that the open textbook has been very useful.” Next to providing ever more support, constant innovation is also a top priority for the Open Textbooks service. A project on interactive open textbooks has already been completed. The dynamic content, such as interactive graphs, allows students to develop an even deeper understanding of the data and concepts being presented. “We are currently exploring how to roll out support for these interactive open textbooks.” Lecturers are clearly pleased with the support we provide. We often receive thank you emails or an invitation for the official book presentation. Jacqueline Michielen-van de Riet Other news 04 November 2024 The TU Delft Library – a driving force of open access publishing With open publishing deeply ingrained in the DNA of TU Delft it is easy to overlook what happens behind the scenes. Joke Dales and Kees Moerman, both longtime employees of the TU Delft Library, have been involved from the start and they still provide abundant support. 06 February 2020 TU Delft and the National Library of the Netherlands launch Future Libraries Lab TU Delft and the Royal Library of the Netherlands (KB) are launching the Future Libraries Lab 11 July 2023 TU Delft OPEN Publishing supports eBook Pledge: The way forward to a sustainable and vibrant book market 04 November 2024 The TU Delft Library – a driving force of open access publishing With open publishing deeply ingrained in the DNA of TU Delft it is easy to overlook what happens behind the scenes. Joke Dales and Kees Moerman, both longtime employees of the TU Delft Library, have been involved from the start and they still provide abundant support. 11 July 2023 TU Delft OPEN Publishing supports eBook Pledge: The way forward to a sustainable and vibrant book market 24 May 2023 Celebrating 25 years of the TU Delft Library building

24 February 2025

Maatwerk

Falkenberg 700 – Rational Rattan

Author: Charlotte van Wijk, Project Lead Programme Tailor-Made Approach to Faculty Collections and Curator of the Chair Collection, Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, TU Delft. Rattan – A Traditional Material Ready for the Future Ida Falkenberg-Liefrinck was one of the first women in the Netherlands to establish an independent career as a designer. This elegant and lightweight chair, designed by her, is a favourite in the Faculty of Architecture’s Chair Collection. As part of this collection—originally established as a study resource for design education—the chair remains a relevant example for contemporary designers. Why Rattan? Falkenberg-Liefrinck was part of the modernist avant-garde in the first half of the 20th century, which aimed to make furniture more affordable through industrial production. While many designers of this movement favoured chrome-plated tubular steel for its industrial aesthetic, this material was quite expensive at the time. Falkenberg-Liefrinck took a more pragmatic approach, opting instead to bend chair frames from the far more affordable material: rattan. Collaboration with Manufacturers This chair from 1935, featuring a rattan frame, seat, and backrest, is a testament to her innovative approach. At the time, the Netherlands had a thriving rattan furniture industry, allowing Falkenberg-Liefrinck to test her ideas in collaboration with W. Klomp, a rattan furniture manufacturer from Apeldoorn. Rattan Chair Falkenberg 700, designed by Ida Falkenberg-Liefrinck in 1935. Photographer: Hans Schouten. Innovative Weaving Technique One key innovation that emerged from this process was the weaving pattern used for the rattan seat and backrest. Traditionally, rattan strands were threaded by hand through small holes in the frame, but in this chair, they are wrapped around the frame, secured in place using notches. This method significantly sped up production. Relevance Today In this design, Falkenberg-Liefrinck combined her social and aesthetic ideals in a pragmatic and innovative way. Over the years, several similar models by her were introduced to the market. Ultimately, this chair demonstrates a keen awareness of accessibility and comfort for the consumer, cost-efficient production, and the use of renewable materials. A design from 90 years ago that still holds valuable lessons for today’s designers! Be inspired—discover this chair and many others on the Chair Collection website: https://collecties.bk.tudelft.nl/chairs/20032161 With thanks to Koos Rauws for sharing his extensive knowledge of the Dutch rattan industry.
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