The Library's website uses cookies to store a variety of preferences and session information. None of it contains personally identifiable information, which means we don't know who visits the Library's website, and all of the cookies have an expiry date, and most expire with the current session.
The website requires cookies because each patron must have a unique session ID, and needs to be locked to a specific application server for the session. All of the other cookies are really just for convenience. For example, the website stores your preferred page length, and also stores information about the previous page you were on so we can provide a link back to that page.
There is no harm in anyone deleting all of the cookies from your computer at any time.
The chart below provides a brief explanation of each cookie.
| Cookie | Explanation |
| __ut* | Used by Google Analytics. |
| _bcui_session_id | Anonymous, unique identifier for the current session. |
| 0 (can be any random number) |
Stores information about previous page visited, to provide link back. |
| audience | Stores age group self-definition (teach/parent or child). Forest of Reading sites only. |
| back_tag | Stores information about previous page visited, to provide link back. |
| back_to_title | Stores information about previous page visited, to provide link back. |
| back_to_url | Stores information about previous page visited, to provide link back. |
| biblio-lb | Stores server information and locks you to the same server for the duration of a session. |
| cms_hidden_messages | Stores a list of system message IDs that have been closed by the user. |
| csm_site_visited | Stores a value ID after the user's first visit to the site so that the onboarding popup isn't displayed. |
| elapsed_time | Tracks response times for various actions for use by Google Analytics. |
| hidden_notices | Tracks system messages hidden by the user. |
| is_local_branch | Used for library terminals to remove the X from system messages so that they cannot be closed. |
| is_returning | Used by Crazy Egg (analytics tool) to track whether the user is new or returning. |
| language | Stores language preference (US English, Canadian English, French, Spanish, Russian, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, or Japanese). |
| location | Stores branch location, and also restricts certain features. |
| page_size | Stores page length preference (10 or 25 items). |
| recently_added_bibs | Stores selected title in New Titles carousel so you can return to the correct position once you've viewed the bib. |
| recently_reviewed_bibs | Stores selected title in Recently Reviewed carousel so you can return to the correct position once you've viewed the bib. |
| remember_me | Stores username (but not password) so you don't have to type it each time you log in on that computer. |
| show_homepage_popover | Stores a value ID if the user has closed the homepage banner so that it isn't displayed. |
| SRV | Stores the application server number for the current session. |
| stored_back_to | Stores information about previous page visited, to provide link back. |
| view | Stores display preference (images or text). |