How We Use Storage and Cookies

Public Domain Literature Library is an independent catalogue of restored classic texts. This page explains what digital storage technologies we use, why we use them, and how you can manage your choices.

Essential Storage

Certain storage is necessary for the catalogue to function. This includes small amounts of data held in your browser to remember your session, maintain security, and enable basic navigation. Without this storage, pages may not load correctly and features such as saving your reading position or adjusting text display may be unavailable. Essential storage does not require your prior consent. Examples include session identifiers and security tokens that prevent unauthorised access to your reading preferences.

Preference Storage

Where you choose to customise your experience — for example, by selecting a text size, a display theme, or a language — we may store that choice locally so that it persists across visits. This storage is used only to honour your preferences and is not used for tracking. If you return to a page about a particular work, such as Essays in Zen Buddhism or Letters from a living dead man, your chosen text size will be remembered for the next time you read.

Analytics Storage (Where Enabled)

We may use analytics storage to understand how visitors interact with the catalogue — which pages are most read, how users navigate between sections, and what devices or browsers are used. This information helps us improve the site's organisation and readability. For instance, we can see whether readers prefer our Reading Notes or Themes and Context sections, and adjust the layout accordingly. Analytics storage is used only where you have consented, and the data collected is aggregated and anonymised where possible. You may withdraw consent at any time.

Advertising Storage (Where Ads Are Displayed)

Some pages of the catalogue may display advertisements to help support the ongoing restoration and hosting of classic texts. Where ads are shown, we may use advertising storage, including cookies and local storage, to deliver relevant advertisements and measure their performance. This may involve Google advertising technologies, including Google AdSense or similar services. These technologies may place first-party and third-party cookies on your device, and may use data such as your IP address, browser type, and pages visited to build a profile of your interests. Advertising storage is used only where you have given consent. You may withdraw consent at any time without affecting your ability to read the catalogue.

Types of Storage Used

We use both session storage (which is cleared when you close your browser) and persistent storage (which remains for a period set by the technology, or until you manually clear it). We may also use local storage for certain features, such as remembering your preferences or reading progress. For example, if you are reading The steps of life: further essays on happiness, your last page position may be stored locally so you can resume where you left off.

Third-Party Storage

Where analytics or advertising are enabled, third-party services (such as Google) may set their own cookies or use other storage technologies. These third parties have their own privacy and cookie policies. We do not control their storage practices, and we encourage you to review their policies for more information. For example, Google's use of advertising cookies is governed by their own privacy policy.

Your Choices

You can manage your cookie preferences through the consent banner or settings panel provided on the site. You may also control storage through your browser settings, including blocking or deleting cookies entirely. Please note that disabling essential storage may impair the functionality of the catalogue. You can also opt out of Google's use of cookies for personalised advertising by visiting Google's Ad Settings. For a detailed guide on managing cookies in your browser, you can consult your browser's help documentation.

Withdrawal of Consent

If you have previously consented to analytics or advertising storage, you may withdraw your consent at any time by adjusting your preferences in the cookie settings panel or by clearing your browser's storage. Withdrawal will not affect the lawfulness of processing based on consent before its withdrawal. If you withdraw consent, any cookies already placed may remain on your device until they expire or are cleared, but they will no longer be used for the purposes you withdrew consent.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in technology, legal requirements, or our practices. Any changes will be posted on this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we use storage technologies.

If you have questions about our use of storage technologies, please contact our editorial team at editor@urigi.com.