How We Use Cookies and Similar Technologies
This page explains how the Public Domain Literature Library and any services operating on the orhie.com domain use cookies, web storage and similar technologies. We keep this description as clear as we can, but if you have questions you are welcome to write to us at the address shown on our contact page.
What Are Cookies?
A cookie is a small text file that a website asks your browser to store on your device. Cookies can be set by the site you are visiting (first-party cookies) or by other domains whose services we have chosen to incorporate (third-party cookies). Some cookies vanish when you close your browser (session cookies); others remain for a longer period (persistent cookies) so that the site can recognise your device on a later visit. We do not specify fixed durations for persistent cookies because those durations are set by the technology we use and may change.
Categories of Storage We Use
Essential (Strictly Necessary) Storage
Certain cookies and local-storage items are essential for the catalogue to function. They enable basic navigation, keep your session secure, and remember technical choices such as whether you have dismissed a notice about cookies. Without these, parts of the site may not work as intended. Essential storage is always active and does not require your prior consent.
Preference Storage
Where you choose custom settings — for example, a preferred text size, a view mode, or a language selection — we may store that choice in a cookie or in local storage so that it persists across visits. Preference storage is only set if you make such a choice, and you can clear it at any time through your browser settings.
Analytics Storage (Where Enabled)
We may use analytics services to understand how visitors interact with the catalogue — which pages are most read, how users navigate, and what kinds of devices or browsers are used. This information helps us improve the site. Where analytics cookies are active, they collect aggregated, non-identifying data. You can opt out of analytics storage through the consent controls we provide on your first visit and at any time afterward via the cookie settings link in the site footer.
Advertising Storage (Where Ads Are Displayed)
Some pages may display advertisements served by Google or other advertising technology providers. Where ads are shown, those providers may set cookies and use web storage to build a profile of your interests, to limit how often you see a given ad, and to measure the effectiveness of campaigns. The specific technologies used may include Google’s advertising products (such as Google Ads and the Google Display Network). These cookies are third-party and are subject to the privacy policies of the respective providers. Advertising storage is only used with your consent, which you may give or withdraw at any time through the cookie settings panel.
Local Storage and Similar Technologies
In addition to cookies, we may use local storage and session storage (collectively, web storage) for the same purposes described above — for example, to remember your reading progress on a long work or to cache catalogue data for faster loading. Web storage is not sent to the server with every request and is generally cleared when you clear your browser’s site data.
Your Choices and Withdrawal of Consent
When you first visit the Public Domain Literature Library, we present a notice that explains our use of cookies and asks for your consent to non-essential categories. You may accept all, decline all, or customise your preferences. Your choice is stored in an essential cookie so that we remember it on subsequent visits.
You can change your mind at any time by clicking the “Cookie Settings” link in the footer of every page. That panel lets you review your current preferences and adjust them. Withdrawing consent for analytics or advertising storage will not affect the core functionality of the catalogue, though it may affect the ads you see (they may become less relevant or more repetitive).
Most browsers also give you direct control over cookies and web storage through their settings menus. You can typically block or delete all cookies, or set exceptions for individual sites. Please be aware that disabling essential storage may break certain features of the catalogue, including the ability to log in (where applicable) or to save preferences.
Third-Party Services
We use Google advertising services on pages where advertisements are displayed. Google may use cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to this site or other sites. You can learn more about how Google uses data and manage your Google ad preferences at Google’s own privacy and terms site. We do not control the cookies set by Google or other third-party services, and we encourage you to review their privacy policies.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in the technologies we use or in legal requirements. Any changes will be posted on this page, and if the changes are significant we may provide a more prominent notice.
If you have questions about our use of cookies, please contact us at [email protected].