How We Use Storage on This Site

Public Domain Literature Library uses cookies and similar technologies to provide a functional, secure, and respectful reading environment. This policy explains what storage may be placed on your device when you visit our catalogue, what each type does, and how you can control them.

Essential Storage

Certain cookies are necessary for the site to operate. They enable core functions such as remembering your session, maintaining your privacy preferences, and ensuring that pages load correctly. These are first-party cookies that do not require your prior consent because they are essential to deliver the service you request. Without them, features like navigating between catalogue pages or saving your cookie preferences would not work.

Preference Cookies

Where enabled, preference cookies allow the site to remember choices you make, such as your preferred text size, reading mode, or language selection. These are first-party and may be persistent, meaning they stay on your device after you close your browser so that your preferences are available on return visits. You may disable these via your browser settings, though some personalisation features may then reset.

Analytics Storage

We may use analytics services, including those provided by Google, to collect anonymous information about how visitors interact with the catalogue — which pages are viewed, how long they are visited, and what links are clicked. This data helps us improve the site’s organisation and content. Where analytics are enabled, the information is aggregated and does not identify you personally. You can opt out of analytics cookies through your browser or by adjusting your consent preferences on our site.

Advertising Technologies

If advertisements are displayed on this site, we or our advertising partners may use cookies and similar technologies to deliver relevant ads, measure their performance, and prevent the same ad from appearing too often. Google advertising services, including Google AdSense, may place first- and third-party cookies for these purposes. These cookies may track your visits across different websites to build a profile of your interests. Where ads are shown, you will be given the opportunity to consent to such storage before it is placed. You may withdraw your consent at any time by updating your preferences via the cookie consent tool or by visiting your Google ad settings.

First-Party and Third-Party Cookies

First-party cookies are set by this site directly. Third-party cookies may be set by services we use, such as Google Analytics or Google advertising technologies. We do not control the data collected by third parties, and their use of cookies is governed by their own privacy policies. You can manage third-party cookie preferences through your browser or via the relevant provider’s opt-out tools.

Session and Persistent Storage

Session cookies are temporary and are deleted when you close your browser. Persistent cookies remain on your device for a period set by the cookie provider, or until you delete them manually. The exact duration varies per cookie; you can inspect the expiry of individual cookies in your browser’s developer tools or cookie manager.

Local Storage and Similar Technologies

In addition to cookies, we may use local storage (such as HTML5 localStorage) to store data on your device for performance or functionality purposes. This data is not automatically sent to our servers and is typically used to cache user preferences or interface state. You can clear local storage through your browser settings.

Your Consent and Withdrawal

For any non-essential storage — including analytics and advertising cookies — we request your consent before placement. When you first visit the site, a consent tool will appear allowing you to accept or decline each category. You may change your preferences at any time by clicking the “Cookie Settings” link available in the site footer. Withdrawing consent will not affect the lawfulness of processing based on consent before its withdrawal.

Browser Controls

Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. You can block all cookies, delete existing cookies, or set alerts when a cookie is being placed. Please note that disabling essential cookies may prevent certain parts of the site from functioning correctly. For detailed instructions, consult your browser’s help documentation.

Practical Effects of Disabling Storage

If you disable all cookies and local storage, you may still be able to browse the catalogue, but features such as remembering your reading preferences or maintaining a session may not work. Some pages may appear differently, and you may be asked to consent again on each visit. Disabling analytics and advertising cookies will not affect the core reading experience but will prevent us from gathering usage insights and may result in less relevant advertisements.

Updates to This Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in technology, law, or our operations. Any changes will be posted on this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

Contact

If you have questions about our use of cookies or storage technologies, please contact our literary editor at [email protected].