What happens when government web pages are hidden, moved, or deleted? In the age of “alternative facts” and the “politicization of science” one librarian was inspired by real world events to create an opportunity to dialogue about power dynamics and bias in a traditional one-shot instruction session. Environmental Science students critically analyzed the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) website and its treatment of climate change during the Trump, Obama, and Bush presidencies. The library “warm-up” activity was designed to raise awareness of data fragility and the long-term accessibility of government websites. As future science professionals, it’s important to think about how this impacts scientists and their work. Students were introduced to several tools including: The Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine, End of Term Archive, and Data Refuge.
