How We Use Cookies
Natural History Library (rbini.com) uses cookies and similar storage technologies to make the catalogue function, remember your preferences, understand how readers use the site, and—where enabled—to support relevant advertising. This policy explains what each type of storage does and how you can control it.
Essential Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the site to work. They allow you to browse the catalogue, open reading companions, and maintain session state. Without them, pages may not load correctly and features such as bookmarking or saving your reading position would not be possible. Essential cookies are always active and do not require your consent.
Preference Cookies
Preference cookies remember choices you make, such as text size, display mode, or which category you last viewed. They make your experience more convenient and are set only if you interact with those features. You can clear them at any time through your browser settings.
Analytics Cookies
Where analytics are enabled, we use first-party cookies to collect anonymous information about how visitors use the site—which pages are most popular, how readers navigate between works, and whether any pages produce errors. This data helps us improve the catalogue and understand which public-domain titles resonate most. Analytics cookies are not used to identify you personally.
Advertising Cookies (Where Displayed)
Some pages may display advertisements served by Google. In that case, Google and its partners may use cookies to deliver ads based on your previous visits to this or other websites. These third-party cookies enable interest-based advertising and are subject to Google's own privacy policies. We do not control which specific advertising cookies are set, and they are only activated if you consent via the cookie banner.
Third-Party Cookies
Aside from Google advertising technologies (where ads are shown), we do not intentionally set third-party cookies. Embedded content from other services—such as videos or social media buttons—may set their own cookies, but such content is not used on this catalogue.
Session and Persistent Cookies
Some cookies are temporary: they expire when you close your browser (session cookies). Others remain on your device for a longer period (persistent cookies) so that the site can recognise you on return visits. The exact duration varies per cookie and is set to the minimum practical length.
Local Storage
In addition to cookies, we may use local storage in your browser to remember interface preferences or to cache parts of the catalogue for faster loading. Local storage is not automatically cleared when you close your browser and can be managed through your browser's site settings.
Your Consent and Choices
When you first visit Natural History Library, a cookie banner informs you about the types of storage we use. For non-essential cookies (analytics and advertising), you can choose to accept or decline. You may also withdraw consent at any time by clearing cookies and refreshing the page; the banner will reappear to record your new choice.
Browser Controls
Most web browsers allow you to view, block, or delete cookies and local storage. You can usually find these controls in the Settings, Preferences, or Privacy menu. Please note that disabling essential cookies may prevent parts of the catalogue from working correctly, such as saving your reading progress or maintaining a stable session.
Practical Effects of Disabling Storage
If you block all cookies, you will still be able to browse the catalogue and read public-domain ebooks. However, interactive features like reading companions, bookmarks, and personalised recommendations will not function. Analytics will also be disabled, which does not affect your reading experience but means we lose the ability to improve the site based on aggregated usage.
Managing Specific Cookie Types
If you wish to allow essential cookies but block analytics or advertising cookies, you can adjust your browser settings accordingly. Many browsers offer granular controls that let you accept or reject cookies from specific domains. Alternatively, you can use the cookie banner on your next visit to set your preferences for non-essential cookies. Note that preference cookies are not strictly essential but enhance usability; if you block them, the site will fall back to default settings each time you visit.
Data Retention and Security
Cookie data is retained only as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was set. For essential and preference cookies, this typically means until the session ends or until you clear them. Analytics data is aggregated and stored for a limited period before being anonymised further. We do not sell any data collected through cookies, and all transmission is encrypted where possible.
Changes to This Policy
This Cookie Policy may be updated occasionally to reflect changes in technology or legal requirements. Any significant changes will be communicated via the cookie banner or a notice on the site. We encourage you to review this page periodically.
If you have any questions about this Cookie Policy, please contact the Collection Editor at the email address provided on the site.