Our Approach to Cookies
The Historical Zoology Library uses cookies and similar storage technologies to keep the catalogue working reliably, to remember your preferences, and to understand how readers interact with the site. This policy explains what types of storage we use, what they do, and how you can control them. We aim to be transparent about the limited ways in which your browsing experience may be personalised or measured.
Essential Cookies
Certain cookies are necessary for the catalogue to function. These store session identifiers that allow you to move between pages without needing to re‑enter information. They do not track your activity beyond a single visit and are deleted when you close your browser. Without these, features such as browsing categories like “Animals” or “Birds” would not work correctly. Essential cookies are always active because they are required for basic site operations.
Preference Cookies
We may store your display preferences — for example, your choice of text size, a collapsed navigation menu, or how you prefer to view reading notes — so that the site looks the way you want on return visits. These are persistent cookies that remain on your device after you close the browser unless you clear them. They contain no personal identifiers and are used solely to improve your experience. If you revisit a page like Little Frank and other tales — A Closer Reading, your selected view will be remembered.
Analytics (Where Enabled)
Where analytics are enabled, we use first‑party cookies to collect anonymous, aggregated information about how the catalogue is used: which pages are visited most often, how long readers stay, and what search terms are used. This helps us improve the site and understand which works — such as Life histories of North American woodpeckers or Our Feathered Friends — are of greatest interest. The data cannot identify you personally. We do not share analytics data with third parties except as part of standard web analytics services that process data on our behalf and are contractually bound to keep it confidential.
Advertising (Where Displayed)
If advertisements are displayed on the catalogue, we may use Google advertising technologies. These may set third‑party cookies that enable interest‑based advertising based on your visits to this and other sites. Google’s use of these cookies is governed by Google’s own privacy policy. We do not control which ads are shown or the data collected by these third‑party cookies. You can opt out of personalised advertising through your Google Ads Settings. Where advertising is not displayed, no advertising cookies are set.
Local Storage
In addition to cookies, we may use local storage in your browser to remember certain choices or to cache data for performance. This storage is similar to persistent cookies but can hold larger amounts of information. It is used only for the purposes described above and is not shared with third parties except as part of Google advertising services where ads are shown. You can clear local storage through your browser settings, though doing so may affect how the site remembers your preferences.
Session and Persistent Storage
Session storage is temporary and is cleared when you close your browser. It is used for essential functions such as maintaining your current session as you move between pages like Ornithological biography, Vol. 4 (of 5) — Themes and Context and How To Have Bird Neighbors — Story, Setting & Ideas. Persistent storage remains on your device for a period determined by your browser settings or until you manually delete it. We do not set fixed expiration dates for persistent cookies, but they typically last no longer than necessary for their purpose — usually a few months for preference cookies and up to two years for analytics cookies.
Your Choices
You can control cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to block or delete all cookies, or to set preferences for individual sites. If you disable essential cookies, parts of the catalogue may not function — for example, you may not be able to browse categories smoothly or maintain your session. Blocking analytics or advertising cookies will not affect the basic operation of the site but may reduce our ability to improve it or to show relevant advertisements. To withdraw any optional consent you may have given, you can clear cookies for our domain in your browser settings. Instructions vary by browser; consult your browser’s help section for details.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page. We encourage you to review it periodically to stay informed about how we use cookies and similar technologies.