Fortunately we had already become

[Noyonhasan630]

This is an unsettling time, and the Internet Archive has been working with staff, partner libraries, and patron communities to weather this storm.

Our staff and community is core of who we are– we are not the data, we are people. We care deeply and have been taking the following steps to support staff.

Most of the Internet Archive staff now work at home– this is going well: zoom, slack, jitsi, whereby, google docs, broadband– the miracles of our Internet world make this possible. a largely distributed staff because of prices in San Francisco and our interest in engaging the best people we could no matter where they live.

For the 50 book scan center staff that work in libraries that are now special database closed, we do not have enough productive remote work and no paid work. (Libraries paying for our scanning services is a major source of earned income for the Internet Archive.) For these important employees we are leveraging government assistance to accomplish a furlough for 3 months at regular pay with medical benefits. So our scanners are safe, not working, and paid.

Figuring out how to do this in England, the US, and Canada, has been challenging especially trying to leverage ever-changing government subsidies. Fortunately England announced added help for furloughed workers, and the United States seems to be working on expanded benefits. We always look to save money but we will make sure our furloughed employees are fully paid with medical during this period in any case. We have made sure they are safe now and that they know we want them to come back to work.