The first community-owned library to be built in Scotland for generations officially opened its doors on Tuesday.
Dedicated to a Scot considered to be the father of early dialysis, the Thomas Graham Library in Strathblane is the result of dedicated crowdfunding.
Its first guests included the library's oldest member, 95-year-old Agnes Lyness, and one of its youngest with three-year-old Ruairidh Balfour, together with children from the adjacent Strathblane Primary School.
Strathblane resident and businessman Angus Graham, Thomas' great great nephew, generously donated almost three quarters towards the £1million project.
READ MORE: How people power delivered £1m library for Strathblane community
The support of almost 300 families, a quarter of the households in the village, helped ensure the new building could become a reality.
Through a partnership between the local community and Stirling Council, the local population now has access to an entirely new facility on Kirkburn Road.
The fundraising and the construction of the venue itself were organised by the Strathblane Community Development Trust (SCDT).
Chair of the Trust, Margaret Vass, expressed disbelief at the accomplishment.
"I still can’t really believe we’ve done this," she said.
“It’s the biggest thing we’ve had happen in this village for at least 40 years – now we have this state-of-the-art building for everyone to use and enjoy.
“The fact that most of this huge sum has been donated by local people is really special.
"It demonstrates both the love that we all have for our brilliant library service, and the wonderful spirit of community support and generosity that exists here in Strathblane.”
The building is owned and operated by SCDT’s subsidiary, Thomas Graham Library Ltd, but it is being leased and operated by Stirling Council.
Thomas Graham, the Scots scientist after whom the library is named, is often considered the father of colloid chemistry. colloid chemistry. 
He is commemorated with a statue in Glasgow's George Square and already has a building named after him at the University of Strathclyde, but his great great nephew said the name for the library is "very fitting".
In addition to Mr Graham's significant contribution, local residents donated sums ranging from £10 to £10,000.
Councillor Gerry McGarvey, convenor of Stirling Council’s Community Wellbeing and Housing Committee, said: “This ground-breaking partnership has resulted in the first community-owned public library to be built in Scotland in living memory.
“Local government finances are facing a time of constraint, but this innovative collaboration between the Council and local community provides a solution that gives our libraries a bright future.
"It is a testimony to our joint commitment to learning and partnership work that we have such a wonderful resource now freely available to all in the Strathblane community. It will enrich the lives of all age groups and foster an even greater sense of wellbeing.”
Pamela Tulloch, chief executive of the Scottish Library and Information Council, said she looks forward to what the innovative community-led approach could bring to Scotland's whole library sector.
She said: “This new venue in Strathblane very much brings to life what a 21st century library should be.
“The collaboration between the community and Stirling Council has demonstrated it is possible to provide a future for library services through a non-traditional financial and operational model.
"I look forward to seeing what this innovative approach to library service delivery brings, not just to Strathblane but to the public library sector in general.”
Pauline Smith, chief executive of the Development Trusts Association Scotland, said the achievement of SCDT is "inspirational to other communities throughout Scotland".
“With local authority budgets under increasing pressures, communities are taking ownership of previously statutory run buildings and having to find different ways to finance and bring them back to life and they are succeeding," she said.
“Strathblane community recognises the need for the Council run library within the building but now the community are the landlord of the gorgeous new building. It is a fantastic example of a community anchor and the power of community ownership and leadership.”
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