The only path might be walled gardens. Researchers shouldn’t use Google Scholar, librarians need to step up with technical solutions, and we need to make sure there are points of entry for people without academic affiliations so they don’t get trapped outside with piles of misinfo and lies

This type of dig to verify the existence of a source is a regular part of my job now. There are multiple points at which this trash is capitalizing on the credibility of libraries and this is one of them. Anywhere there’s a weakness (link resolvers like this, all of Google Scholar), it’s exploited

I’m part of a group of librarians who just caused an *incredible* scene with two different vendors because a single patron complained about a single trash article they found in one of our resources. It was so satisfying!

It’s definitely a significant issue that we deal with daily, but I’m less worried about our labor than the consequences for scholars and researchers who go it alone against this nonsense

I mean, honestly? It’s the work of seconds to confirm that the thing doesn’t exist for someone like me (a skilled, experienced reference librarian). I’m much angrier about my patrons’ wasted time and the implications for the scholarly record.

Corollary: When a patron prefaces their inquiry with “Quick question.”

I saw someone point out that “giddy up, jingle horse, pick up your feet!” sounds like something a homophobic gym teacher would say

Me, not even having had my damn tea yet: “Good lord, I just woke up. Calm down, comrade!”

Showed this to my thirteen-year-old, so now she has a line she can alternate with her usual “I don’t like your attitude” when I say it’s time for bed

The deposed minor royalty who lives in my house presents the rare but fabulous dangle!yawn