Library borrowing: Overdrive vs. Libby

[ownedbycats]

At the bottom of the library pages is a link to "cookie settings." Unfortunately, clicking on it causes the page to refresh right after opening the modal so I can't see what the options are.

[haertig]

No cookie setting on their webpage will keep you logged in. I am allowing all their cookies, yet I am still logged out.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

Yup, I got logged out of all my libraries.

Using inspect element to check the cookies shows that one called _cac (which contains the user's email address and what seems to be account information like "checkoutLimitsByMedia" and "canPlaceHolds") expires 10 minutes after login.

Well found. I've installed a cookie manager with Firefox. I've edited the expiry date on that cookie and I'll see if it works when more then 10 minutes is up.

[JSWolf]

I changed the expiration date and I also changed to Secure and httpOnly. I did this for all cookies expiring today. It seems to be working.

[haertig]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

Yup, I got logged out of all my libraries.

Using inspect element to check the cookies shows that one called _cac (which contains the user's email address and what seems to be account information like "checkoutLimitsByMedia" and "canPlaceHolds") expires 10 minutes after login.

I don't have that cookie. My cookies set by Overdrive right after I logged in are shown below. There are two Session cookies, followed by two more (_dc_gtm... and _gat) that have an expiration date within a minute of when they were set, then the next one (_gid) expires one day after being set, then the remainder have much longer expiration dates.

p.s. - Interesting that I have cookies being created by Google and Doubleclick on the Overdrive webpage - my web browser settings are to always block 3rd party cookies. Interesting, ... interesting indeed!

[ownedbycats]

I use Privacy Badger, which does a pretty good job of nuking the trackers.

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by haertig

p.s. - Interesting that I have cookies being created by Google and Doubleclick on the Overdrive webpage - my web browser settings are to always block 3rd party cookies. Interesting, ... interesting indeed!

That goes beyond interesting to terrible. I know chromium initiates a lot of traffic to google whatever the settings, but I wouldn't have thought that would extend to setting cookies against policy. Are you sure you didn't set an exception for Overdrive?

In any case, there are chromium derived browsers that set out to purge google from chromium. among them are brave and ungoogled chromium.

[gussy]

I have been seeing the sign in constant time out for two days now. When I access my libraries overdrive sites on my android phone, I do not get timed out. Tried Privacy Badger but did not work on my desktop Chrome.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by haertig

I don't have that cookie. My cookies set by Overdrive right after I logged in are shown below. There are two Session cookies, followed by two more (_dc_gtm... and _gat) that have an expiration date within a minute of when they were set, then the next one (_gid) expires one day after being set, then the remainder have much longer expiration dates.

p.s. - Interesting that I have cookies being created by Google and Doubleclick on the Overdrive webpage - my web browser settings are to always block 3rd party cookies. Interesting, ... interesting indeed!

That's not from the main Overdrive site. That's from a library's Overdrive site.

[Paperbackstash]

I've started to use multiple libraries this year and keep having issues with Libby. No matter what I do, accounts do not sync across multiple devices. It used to be when I searched a book it showed different options at multiple libraries, although a bit tediously, but now it will only show the results of which library I have open without other options.

With Overdrive I previously mainly just used on web browsers, but I cannot get an account to list all my libraries under sign in with email for two years. Every time I have tried it asks me to verify email, never sends the email, and will not remember account information. Only option I can sign in is using a library card, but it won't let me collect all in one account

Yes, they are glitchy and hopefully both keep improving.

Also had a library card need re-verification recently on Libby for some reason, but it kept giving me an error when trying. Thankfully that resolved itself, think it was something with the library being down

Fortunately the borrowing part works fine

[haertig]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

That's not from the main Overdrive site. That's from a library's Overdrive site.

No, it's from the main Overdrive site.

[haertig]

Originally Posted by j.p.s

That goes beyond interesting to terrible. I know chromium initiates a lot of traffic to google whatever the settings, but I wouldn't have thought that would extend to setting cookies against policy. Are you sure you didn't set an exception for Overdrive?

I did some further digging into this. What I found is that the screenshot I posted above showing the Google and Doubleclick cookies was done while I had my ScriptSafe extension disabled. I did not realize that at the time I took the screenshot. I was doing testing to see if I could keep Overdrive from logging me out via cookie settings, and also via selectively allowing some Javascript. Those Google/Doubleclick cookies were coming when I loaded the Overdrive webpage, but with all Javascript enabled. When I disabled all Javascript and reloaded the Overdrive webpage (after exiting the browser to clear everything out), those Google/Doubleclick cookies did not appear when the Overdrive webpage was loaded (and "block all third party cookies" was enabled). So it appears that "block all third party cookies" does NOT stop 3rd party cookies that are planted via the Javascript route.

In the old days, you used to be able to get by blocking all Javascript. But these days, most websites will not function without their Javascript. So the issue have become, "selectively block some Javascript". Easier said than done once you look and see all the Javascript from various places that most websites use. Overdrive is not too bad when it comes to loading Javascript from different websites, but it does load a bunch of scripts from Google.

In any case, there are chromium derived browsers that set out to purge google from chromium. among them are brave and ungoogled chromium.

Google Chrome is built on Chromium. Chromium is not a stripped down version of Google Chrome. Chromium should be Google-free because the Google stuff is added on top of Chromium, which turns it into Google Chrome. At least that's the way I understand it. And that's also the reason why I use Chromium and not Chrome. However, who develops Chromium? Google!!! So it is doubtful that Chromium is totally Google-free. It is probably more Google-free than Chrome though.

[library addict]

Just came to check after being logged out multiple times yesterday and today. Sad it is happening, but glad it is not just me.

[Terisa de morgan]

I have the same problemswith log out, but they began yesterday.

[JSWolf]

I've sorted the problem. The add-on Cookie Manager for Firefox allows me to change the cookie expiration dates and thus, the cookies are not expiring in 10 minutes.