Information We Receive Automatically
When you visit the Public Domain Literature Library, our servers record routine log data. This may include your IP address, the type of browser and device you use, the date and time of your visit, the pages you view, and the referring website or application. We use this information to maintain the stability of the catalogue, diagnose technical issues, and understand general usage patterns. Log data is not linked to any personal identifier except as needed to respond to a security incident or legal obligation.
Information You Provide Voluntarily
If you send us a message through the contact address displayed on the site ([email protected]), we receive the contents of your message and any metadata included in the communication, such as your email address and the time you sent it. We use this only to respond to your inquiry and will not add your address to a marketing list. We do not operate user accounts, comment boards, or mailing lists, so we do not routinely collect names, postal addresses, or telephone numbers.
Site Preferences and Cookies
A small number of cookies may be placed on your device to remember your preferences—for example, whether you have dismissed a notice or chosen a particular display mode. These cookies are strictly functional and do not track your activity across other websites. You may set your browser to refuse cookies, but some features of the catalogue may then behave differently.
Analytics and Advertising
Where enabled, we use a privacy-respecting analytics service that collects aggregated data about page views, visitor geography, and device types. This service does not identify individual users and does not share data with third parties for their own purposes.
If advertising is displayed on the catalogue, it may be provided by a third-party advertising partner. That partner may use cookies, web beacons, or similar technologies to serve advertisements based on your visits to this and other websites. You may see ads for books, literary resources, or general interest content. The advertising partner operates under its own privacy policy, and we encourage you to review it. You can opt out of interest-based advertising through your browser settings or through industry opt-out pages such as the Network Advertising Initiative opt-out tool.
Google advertising services may be used where displayed. Google uses cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to this catalogue or other websites. You may opt out of Google’s use of cookies by visiting the Google Advertising Opt-out page.
Third-Party Services and Embedded Content
Pages within the catalogue may include embedded content from third-party services, such as previews from Internet Archive or HathiTrust. These services may collect data about your interaction with the embedded content, subject to their own privacy policies. We do not control those services and are not responsible for their data practices.
How We Use Your Information
We process the information described above for the following purposes:
- To operate, maintain, and improve the catalogue.
- To respond to messages you send us.
- To detect and prevent misuse or technical faults.
- To comply with legal obligations if required.
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties. We may share aggregated, non-identifying information publicly, such as the number of visitors to a particular work page.
Service Providers
We engage a limited number of service providers—such as hosting and analytics companies—who may have access to log data solely to perform their services. They are contractually bound to use that data only as we instruct and to protect its confidentiality.
Data Security
We take reasonable measures to protect the information we hold against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include routine security updates, encrypted connections where supported, and restricted access to server logs. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute protection.
Data Retention
We retain log data for as long as reasonably necessary to fulfil the purposes described in this policy, after which it is deleted or anonymized. Messages and related metadata are retained only as long as needed to address your inquiry and for a short period thereafter for record-keeping purposes. We do not specify fixed retention periods because the appropriate duration depends on the nature of the data and the reason for processing.
Your Choices and Rights
You may:
- Set your browser to refuse or delete cookies.
- Use browser privacy features such as Do Not Track or Global Privacy Control.
- Opt out of interest-based advertising as described above.
- Contact us at [email protected] to request access to, correction of, or deletion of any personal information we hold about you. We will respond within a reasonable timeframe.
Depending on where you live, you may have additional rights under local data protection law, such as the right to data portability or to object to certain processing. We will honour applicable legal requirements.
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 take steps to delete that data promptly.
External Links
The catalogue contains links to other websites, including those of publishers, libraries, and educational institutions. This privacy policy applies only to the Public Domain Literature Library. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those external sites.
International Access
The catalogue is hosted and operated from New Zealand. If you access it from another country, your data may be transferred to and processed in New Zealand. By using the catalogue, you acknowledge that your information may be subject to the laws of New Zealand. We will take appropriate safeguards to protect your data in accordance with this policy.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this privacy policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page. Your continued use of the catalogue after any change indicates your acceptance of the updated policy.
If you have questions about this policy, please contact the catalogue [email protected].