The library's purpose is to meet the teaching, learning and research needs of University of Regina students and faculty staff.

Archer’s collection has more than 830,000 monographs, journals and pamphlets; it has approximately 585,000 government publications and more than 900,000 microform material.

[1] Archer Library’s Archives contain almost 16,000 linear metres of holdings and is composed of historical University of Regina materials and private papers with an emphasis on journalism, visual arts and Saskatchewan literature.

[2] The Dr. John Archer Library building was officially opened in 1967 and dedicated in 1999.

[3] "In 1970, Dr. Archer was appointed as the Principal of the Regina Campus, then part of the University of Saskatchewan.