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Career & Role in Librarianship
After his move to Dublin around 1849, Archer pursued a career in business, but quickly made a name for himself as a talented naturalist in his leisure time. He was a founding member of the Dublin Microscopical Club, of which he eventually became secretary. In the subsequent period, Archer's scientific work was frequently published in the Quarterly Journal of Microscopical Science and in the club's Proceedings, as well as the Proceedings of the Dublin Natural History Society. He achieved particular fame and recognition for his work on protozoa and minute fresh water organisms. As a result of his diligent efforts, Archer became a member of the Royal Irish Academy, and was made a fellow of the Royal Society in 1875. In 1879, he was also awarded the Cunningham Medal of the Royal Irish Academy. Despite these achievements, Archer's humble and shy character seems to have led him to decline opportunities like a professorship of botany at the Royal College of Science for Ireland.

Archer subsequently made a career change when he became the librarian of the Royal Dublin Society in 1877. This particular role did not last, as the library was acquired by the state, and swiftly absorbed into the National Library of Ireland the following year. Luckily for Archer, the Council of Trustees decided to appoint him as the first librarian of the National Library in February 1878. Setting himself to his task with zeal, Archer quickly gained a positive reputation among librarians for his dedication and work ethic. Under his purview, the library became one of the first to implement the Dewey Decimal Classification System. Archer likewise strongly influenced the internal design of the new library building, inspiring Dublin-based architects, Deane & Son, with his 1881 pamphlet: "Suggestions as to public library buildings: their internal plan and construction, best adapted to effect economy of space." Archer retired from his post in 1895 due to poor health, but his establishment of relatively novel systems like the Dewey Decimal Classification, as well as a dictionary catalogue had a lasting positive impact for library users.