TU Delft Library has joined the International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) Consortium as a full member in 2026. By joining the international network, the Library strengthens its commitment to Open Science and open standards for sharing, reusing and presenting digital collections and research data.
IIIF is an international framework that helps institutions make digital resources — such as images, maps, audio, video and 3D materials — accessible and reusable across platforms. The standards allow users to zoom into high-resolution images, compare materials from different collections, add annotations and integrate digital objects into research and educational projects.
Supporting research, education and digital heritage
TU Delft Library already uses IIIF across several services and projects. The framework supports the presentation of the Library’s digital special collections and online exhibitions. IIIF standards have also been implemented in 4TU.ResearchData’s repository, allowing researchers to reuse their data outside of the repository and integrate it with various research pipelines or public-facing applications for outreach. This implementation highlights IIIF’s potential beyond ‘just’ historical data.
As Director of 4TU.ResearchData Daniel Bangert explains, “Through our IIIF implementation, 4TU.ResearchData supports advanced image access and visualisation using open standards. This facilitates reuse and helps to broaden the impact of data published in 4TU.ResearchData.”
The standards are also used within Allmaps, an open-source ecosystem for working with IIIF maps, plans and aerial photos. Co-founded by TU Delft Library’s Jules Schoonman and developer Bert Spaan, Allmaps allows users to georeference historical maps, plans and aerial photographs, making archival materials easier to search, compare and analyse.
The project is increasingly used in both research and education. Students at the Berlage Centre for Advanced Studies in Architecture and Urban Design used Allmaps to georeference river maps and Amsterdam map collections for research and exhibition projects. The tools help students combine historical and geographic data within design processes and storytelling. Master’s students in Geomatics explored the possibility of automatically georeferencing map series from the Dutch National Archives with the aim of unlocking a lot more maps to make them usable for teaching and research.
Joining an international community
The IIIF Consortium maintains the standards and brings together libraries, archives, museums and universities worldwide. TU Delft Library sees the membership as an opportunity to strengthen international collaboration around open infrastructure and interoperability.
Karin Clavel, Manager Resources at TU Delft Library, says “The IIIF Community has offered us a welcoming platform to collaborate across institutional boundaries over the past years. We are joining the Consortium in line with our mission to strengthen Open Science across the board, from the implementation of open standards in our services to the promotion of their usage within our academic community.”
“The work being done by the TU Delft Library to enhance access to their digital collection, underpinned by the creative use of IIIF, makes them a great addition to the IIIF Consortium,” adds Martin Kalfatovic, Managing Director of the IIIF Consortium.
About the International Image Interoperability Framework
IIIF is a set of open standards for delivering high-quality, attributed digital objects online at scale. It’s also an international community developing and implementing the IIIF APIs. IIIF is backed by a consortium of leading cultural institutions. In addition to supporting the IIIF community financially, these institutions contribute to the APIs, Community Groups, and more.