A source library is not a pile of PDFs. It is an agreement with your future self (and your teammates) about how evidence is stored, named, found, and retired. If you get the information architecture wrong on day one, you will pay compound interest in duplicated work and missed connections.
Start with cases, not topics
For investigations, project-first structure beats “Misc / Interesting / To sort.” Typical patterns:
- One top-level folder per matter (internal code name + external reference if needed).
- Subfolders by workstream – entities, timelines, financials, communications, open questions.
- Cross-cutting tags for methods (e.g., whois, satellite, corporate) rather than duplicating folders.
Topic-only taxonomies feel elegant until three unrelated cases mention the same shell company.
Naming that survives Ctrl+F
Titles should include entity + subject + date when relevant. “Blog post” is a confession that you gave up. “Acme Ltd – emissions response – 2026-03-14” is a gift to Tuesday-you.
Add a one-line intent note at capture time: “Saved for paragraph 3 re: subsidiary ownership chain.” Notes decay slower than memory.
Versioning volatile pages
Corporate sites, government PDFs, and social profiles change. When wording matters, re-capture on material edits and keep a short note: “Pricing table changed; prior capture 2026-01-10.”
You are building a timeline, not a trophy case.
Retention and deletion
Good libraries delete. Align retention to case closure, client agreements, and internal policy. If your tool makes deletion scary, people hoard unrelated captures “just in case”—which weakens search for everyone.
Weekly triage (20 minutes)
- Rename vague titles.
- Merge duplicate captures of the same URL.
- Kill obvious noise you saved during a rabbit hole.
- Fix synonym tags (pick “TTP” or “tactics,” not both forever).
Handoff readiness
Assume someone inherits your laptop tomorrow. Your library should not require oral tradition. Export or bundle key sources when milestones hit—do not wait for the final week.
PageStash supports project organization, notes, and full-text search across captures so a source library stays usable under pressure.
Related: Archive a webpage · OSINT tools · Research workflow · Bookmark manager alternative
