Our Use of Cookies and Similar Technologies

This page explains how the Public Domain Literature Library (vreur.com) uses cookies, local storage, and similar technologies when you visit our catalogue. We believe in straightforward, transparent explanations so you can make informed choices about your browsing experience.

What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files placed on your device by your web browser. They allow a site to remember your actions or preferences over time. Most browsers support cookies, and you can control how they are stored through your browser settings. Similar technologies, such as local storage and session storage, perform comparable functions within your browser.

Categories of Storage We Use

Essential (Strictly Necessary) Storage

Certain cookies and local storage items are required for the catalogue to function. These may include, for example, a session cookie that maintains your browsing session as you move between pages, or a cookie that remembers your preference for viewing a particular edition. These do not require your prior consent because the catalogue cannot work without them. Essential storage is set by us (first-party) and is typically session-based, meaning it expires when you close your browser.

Preference Storage

Where enabled, we may store your choices about how the site looks or behaves—such as a preferred text size, a language selection, or the state of collapsible sections. These cookies are persistent (they remain after you close your browser) but are entirely under your control. You can withdraw any optional preference consent at any time by clearing your browser’s cookies for this domain.

Analytics Storage

If analytics are enabled on your visit, we may use a first-party analytics tool to collect anonymised, aggregated information about how visitors use the catalogue—for example, which pages are most frequently viewed, how long visitors stay, and what search terms are used. This helps us understand which restored classics (such as Senator North — Text and Context or Miss Gibbie Gault — Inside the Classic) are of greatest interest, and whether our editorial notes and reading guides are helpful. Analytics storage is non-essential and is only placed with your consent where required by law. You can opt out at any time through the consent controls available on this site.

Advertising Storage

Where advertisements are displayed on the catalogue, we may use Google advertising technologies (such as Google AdSense or Google Ads) that place cookies to personalise ads based on your browsing activity across different websites. These cookies are third-party (set by Google) and may be persistent. They are used to show you ads that are more relevant to your interests, to measure the effectiveness of ad campaigns, and to prevent the same ad from appearing too often. We only enable advertising-related storage if you have given your consent. You can withdraw that consent at any time via the consent management tool on this site.

First-Party and Third-Party Cookies

First-party cookies are set by vreur.com itself. Third-party cookies are set by a domain other than vreur.com—for example, by Google when advertising is displayed. We do not control the data collected by third-party cookies; you should review Google’s own privacy and cookie policies for further information.

Session and Persistent Cookies

Session cookies are temporary and expire once you close your browser. Persistent cookies remain on your device for a set period (or until you delete them). We do not specify fixed durations because these can vary by browser and technology; instead, we encourage you to check your browser’s cookie inspector for precise expiry times. Essential session cookies are typically deleted when you leave the site.

Local Storage

In addition to cookies, we may use HTML5 local storage to remember your preferences or to cache certain interface elements for performance. Local storage is not automatically sent to the server with every request, and it remains on your device until you clear it. We use local storage only for purposes consistent with the categories described above.

Your Choices and Consent

When you first visit the catalogue, you may see a consent notice asking you to accept or decline non-essential storage categories (analytics and advertising). Your choice is stored in an essential cookie so that we remember it on subsequent visits. You can change your preferences at any time by clicking the “Cookie Settings” link available in the footer of every page.

If you withdraw consent for analytics or advertising, we will stop placing the corresponding cookies and will not collect further data for those purposes. However, any data already collected before withdrawal may remain in our analytics records in anonymised form.

Browser Controls

Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. You can usually:

• View which cookies are stored on your device and delete them individually or in bulk.
• Block third-party cookies entirely.
• Block all cookies (which will likely break essential functions of many websites, including this catalogue).
• Set the browser to notify you when a cookie is being placed.

Please consult your browser’s help section for detailed instructions. For mobile devices, the operating system may provide additional controls.

Practical Effects of Disabling Storage

If you disable essential cookies or local storage, the catalogue may not function correctly. You might be unable to maintain a reading session, your preferences may not be saved, and some pages may display incorrectly. Disabling analytics or advertising cookies will not affect the core functionality of the site, but you may see less relevant advertisements (where ads are shown) and we will lose the ability to improve the catalogue based on aggregated usage patterns.

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 it periodically.

Contact

If you have any questions about our use of cookies or other storage technologies, please contact our Associate Editor, Oscar Brontë, at editor@vreur.com.