Information We Receive Automatically
When you visit the Public Domain Literature Library, our server records routine technical information: your IP address, the type of browser and operating system you use, the referring page if any, the pages you view, and the date and time of each request. This data is used to maintain the catalogue’s security, diagnose technical issues, and understand broad usage patterns. We do not link this information to any personal identifier unless you voluntarily send us a message.
Information You Provide Voluntarily
If you contact the catalogue project via the email address published on the site, we receive your message and the email address from which it was sent. We keep that correspondence only as long as needed to respond and to maintain a record of the exchange for editorial purposes. We never sell or share your email address with third parties.
Site Preferences and Cookies
We use a small number of cookies to remember your preferences — for example, whether you have dismissed a notice about the public-domain status of certain works. These cookies are strictly functional and do not track your activity across other websites. You may disable cookies in your browser settings, but some features of the catalogue may then work differently.
Analytics
Where enabled, we use a privacy-respecting analytics service that collects aggregated, non-personal data about page views, referral sources, and browser types. This service does not use cookies that identify individual visitors, and your IP address is anonymised before storage. You can opt out of such analytics by enabling the “Do Not Track” setting in your browser.
Advertising
Some pages of the catalogue may display advertisements provided by third-party advertising networks, including Google AdSense where enabled. These networks may use cookies, web beacons, and similar technologies to serve ads based on your visits to this and other websites. The information collected includes your IP address, browser type, and the pages you view, and is used to tailor advertising to your interests. You can learn more about how Google uses data collected through its advertising services at policies.google.com/technologies/ads. To control which interest-based ads you see, you can visit the Your Ad Choices page operated by the Digital Advertising Alliance or the Ad Settings page provided by Google.
Third-Party Cookies and Web Beacons
Advertisers and analytics providers we work with may place their own cookies or web beacons on your device. These are governed by the privacy policies of those third parties, not by this policy. We do not control those technologies and encourage you to review the privacy notices of any third-party services whose cookies are stored on your browser.
Purposes of Processing
We process the data described above for the following purposes:
- To operate, maintain, and secure the catalogue.
- To understand how readers use the site and improve its content and navigation.
- To respond to inquiries and correspondence.
- To display relevant advertising where enabled.
Service Provider Access
We may engage a small number of service providers (for example, hosting and analytics) who have access to the technical data described above only to perform their services on our behalf. They are contractually bound to keep the data confidential and not to use it for any other purpose.
Data Security
We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect the information we hold against accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure, or access. However, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
Data Retention
Server logs are retained for a limited period necessary for security and analysis, then deleted or anonymised. Correspondence is kept only as long as it serves a legitimate editorial purpose. Cookie data expires according to the cookie’s own expiry setting. We do not retain personal data indefinitely.
Your Choices and Rights
You have the right to:
- Request access to any personal data we hold about you.
- Ask us to correct or delete that data.
- Object to or restrict processing of your data.
- Withdraw any consent you have given (for example, by disabling cookies).
To exercise these rights, please contact the catalogue project at the email address provided on the site. We will respond within a reasonable timeframe. Depending on your location, you may also have the right to lodge a complaint with a data protection authority.
Children’s Privacy
This catalogue is intended for a general audience and does not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we become aware that a child has provided us with personal data without appropriate consent, we will delete it promptly.
External Links
The catalogue contains links to external websites, including those of the original publishers of public-domain texts. This privacy policy applies only to our site. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of other sites and encourage you to read their policies.
International Access
This site is operated from the United Kingdom. If you access it from outside the UK, please be aware that your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the UK where our servers are located. By using the site, you consent to such transfer, storage, and processing in accordance with this policy.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this privacy policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page. Your continued use of the catalogue after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.
If you have questions about this policy, please write to the catalogue project at the address shown on the site.