What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files stored on your device by your web browser when you visit a website. They help the site remember your actions and preferences over time. We also use similar technologies such as local storage and web beacons where described below.
Essential Cookies and Storage
Certain cookies and local storage items are strictly necessary for the operation of the catalogue. They enable you to navigate the site, search for titles, and access ebook files. Without these, the site cannot function properly. These technologies do not require your prior consent and are always active. Examples include session tokens that keep you logged in during a visit and storage that remembers which edition of a book you selected.
Preferences and Functionality
We may store your preferences—such as text display settings, sort order, or which edition notes you have viewed—using cookies or local storage. This information stays on your device and helps us tailor the presentation to your choices. Where we use cookies for this purpose, they are persistent but you may delete them at any time. For instance, if you prefer a larger font size when reading reader’s guides, that setting can be remembered across pages.
Analytics
Where analytics are enabled, we use first-party and third-party cookies to collect anonymous, aggregated data about how visitors interact with the catalogue—for example, which pages are most frequently visited, how long readers stay, and whether any errors occur. This information helps us improve the site and understand which categories, such as Crime & Mystery or Young Readers, are most engaging. No personal identifiers are stored in these analytics cookies. You may opt out of analytics cookies through your browser settings or via any consent mechanism we provide.
Advertising Technologies
Where advertisements are displayed on the catalogue, we may use Google advertising services, including Google AdSense or Google Ad Manager, which set cookies to personalise ads based on your browsing history and interests. These cookies are third-party, persistent, and may be used by Google to build a profile of your interests across websites. We do not control the data collected by Google. You can manage your ad preferences through Google’s Ad Settings or opt out via the YourAdChoices page. If you disable these cookies, you will still see ads, but they will be less relevant to you. Note that advertising cookies are not used on pages dedicated solely to editorial content, such as reader’s guides or edition insights.
Session and Persistent Cookies
Session cookies are temporary and expire when you close your browser. Persistent cookies remain on your device for a period set by the cookie owner or until you delete them. We use both types as described above. The exact duration of persistent cookies varies; you can inspect individual cookie expiration dates in your browser’s developer tools or cookie manager. Typically, our preference cookies persist for up to one year, while analytics cookies may last up to two years.
Local Storage
In addition to cookies, the catalogue may use local storage in your browser to remember interface choices or to cache data for performance. Local storage is not automatically transmitted to us and can be cleared through your browser settings. For example, if you have opened a reader’s guide for a title like Buddenbrooks, volume 1 of 2, local storage may remember your scroll position so you can resume reading later.
Your Consent Choices
For non-essential cookies (analytics and advertising), we seek your consent before setting them. You may withdraw or change your consent at any time by clicking the “Cookie Preferences” link available in the footer of every page. Withdrawal will not affect the lawfulness of processing based on consent before its withdrawal. If you are in a jurisdiction that requires consent, a cookie banner will appear on your first visit.
Browser Controls
Most browsers allow you to view, block, or delete cookies and local storage. You can typically find these controls in the “Settings” or “Privacy” menu. Please note that blocking all cookies, including essential ones, may impair the catalogue’s functionality. For detailed instructions, consult your browser’s help documentation. In Chrome, for instance, you can clear cookies for a specific site under “Site Settings”.
Practical Effects of Disabling Storage
If you disable cookies and local storage entirely, you may still access public-domain ebook files directly, but features such as remembering your reading progress, preferred category views, or search history will not work. Some editorial notes, reader’s guides, and context pages may not display correctly. For example, if you are exploring The Cheyne mystery — Themes and Context, your place in the guide may not be saved.
If you have questions about our use of cookies, please contact the catalogue project at the email address provided on the site.