By Ruth Ann Ruiz
The Post Newspaper Features Editor
“When Barnes and Noble first came to my part of Nebraska, my grandma took me once a week to get a book,” said Rosenberg Library’s teen librarian, Dustan Archer. He’d almost always pick a book from the young adult’s science fiction series, Animorphs.
“I’d devour the entire book on the ride home,” Archer shares with a mischievous smile and glint in his eyes as though his is a character from his childhood sci-fi books.
There was a little hiccup because of his quick reading style.
When they got home, his great-grandmother was waiting. She expected him to spend time reading the book, but he had already read it. She didn’t believe he had read the entire book, so he had to recite the details of the book from beginning to end as evidence he had read the whole book.
Thus continued a weekly ritual for Archer with his grandmother and great-grandmother as he read his way through many sci-fi young adult novels. His intergenerational experiences with books while growing up set him up to be a lifetime lover of books.
Archer embodies his career in every way that we have come to expect of librarians. He shelves books, he uses a library voice when speaking with individuals, he answers questions, he helps clients find material. He is a subdued, empathic librarian who knows how to hold the line on library rules.
There is another side to Archer, just as with most people who work in a quiet environment. As teen librarian he can cut loose, use his creative ideas, and provide teenagers with a place to come for engaging activities.
Gaming night for teens gather from all demographics with a sense of unity as they build relationships and enjoy some good-spirited youthful games. “I’m strict about their ages. They must be 13 and can’t be older than 18,” said Archer.
Archer delves to develop a safe zone for his teens, and age restriction is an important rule towards building a safe space. Another rigorously practiced rule from all library staff is respecting the teens’ privacy.
“If someone calls and asks if such and such teen is in the library, we are not allowed to respond. Even if we know it is their family member. We have to always protect them and not respond with any details,” explained Archer.
Stepping into the gaming room as a stranger, you get the sense that the young people are protective of each other and cautious of outsiders. Archer’s efforts to create an environment where all participants feel emotionally and physically safe seems to be working.
All the work to create a safe environment would be a waste if the teens didn’t have fun, and from all appearances they enjoy gaming time. They are smiling, engaged, and seeking out information to better participate in the games.
A popular group game, Ultimate Werewolf, is played with Archer serving as the moderator. Each participant draws a card which indicates whether they are a werewolf, village person or village person who is also a seer of the werewolf.
This game is played using reasoning and deduction skills to figure out who is the werewolf. Archer guides them to go deeper into their thinking and justify their responses. So, the game in a way becomes a teaching exercise, all the while the teens are just having a good time at the library.
Dancing along with videos is part of gaming time for the teens at the library and Archer, though he feels he has already done his share of dance moves for the session is easily coaxed into a final song.
There are other activities and events for teens which are listed on Rosenberg Library’s website.
Along with planned activities, the library hosts a wide range of options for young adult readers. The library provides books from many subjects, authors, and genres for a young person to explore.
Included in the library’s collection are 2,000 volumes of Manga books. These books are a collection of comic strips and graphic novels which originated in Japan and are mostly published in black and white.
“Manga books are very popular; we have lots of teens and preteens who come in looking for them. I’ve seen a young person sit here and read 30 volumes in one setting,” said Archer.
Part of what Archer strives to offer his teen clients is a sense of place and purpose along with adults who care about them and who they can speak to about difficult issues. “We are able to help a teen get the resources they might need for many different circumstances,” explained Archer.
With five years at Galveston’s library, he has been able to watch his clients grow into adults and is supportive of them in their endeavors.
“Some of my first teens were 13 when I started. Now they are 18. Being able to see them grow up and discover who they are is just phenomenal. We have a lot of great teens who have volunteered here, and I’ve been able to give them references for jobs and college,” Archer said.
For Archer working as a teen librarian is a dream job, one that he didn’t know he wanted to hold until a friend suggested he become a librarian.
With his first degree in psychology and several years of working in the mental health field, he was looking for something different. Then he went back to college to become a librarian.
“I am so grateful to my friend who suggested I become a librarian this is 1005% exactly about who I am as a person,” said Archer.
