The fire that damaged the Glasgow School of Art in May was a disaster for the world of art and architecture, but the extraordinary response to the blaze has also proved how valued and loved the building is.

Since May, millions of pounds have been raised towards the cost of restoring the building and now many of the books that were destroyed are also being replaced by donors from around the world.

The list of those who have helped is impressive, and includes the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Massachusetts College of Art and Design, and Edinburgh's Royal Botanic Garden. The donors responded after the school published a list of some of the books that were destroyed.

As Duncan Chappell, a librarian at the school, says, the donors' generosity is evidence of the affection in which the school and its library is held: more than £150,000 has also been raised in individual donations.

A debate is now starting about how the school should be restored, but there can be no argument about the country's love for the building. Recovering the books is another step towards restoring its greatness.