The Mr. and Mrs. Thomas J. Borger Architecture Library Endowment was established in 2001. Tom (’71), a licensed architect, is CEO of The Borger Group, LLC family of companies specializing in Architecture, Development, and Custom Construction. Liz Naquin Borger (’78) is Senior Vice President of Investments with the Elkhart Group of Stifel Nicolaus and Company, Incorporated. At Notre Dame, they both belong to the Irish Angels network. The Borger family includes three children, two of which are ND graduates, and eight grandchildren.

The Borger Endowment supports scholarship and research in architecture through collection development and services. The Architecture Library’s collection includes the first published book on architecture, the 1485 Alberti, and the first illustrated architecture publication, the 1511 Vitruvius. These books, along with the more than 400 others in the collection, teach students the history of architecture, the history of American design, and the history of their profession. The Architecture Library has begun to involve students in collection development, making them feel invested. This connection strengthens the Library’s relationship with the School of Architecture and the students.

The Architecture Library also features the Ryan Rare Book Room. It boasts one of the largest collections of early printed architecture books in the Midwest and focuses on those books instrumental in designing early America.