Getting Organized - PDFs, Books, Chapters, Photocopies

Well, my bookshelf reorganization is well under way ... at least the academic side of my office, which is what I am most concerned about.

Next up, I need to sort out a system for paper. Over the course of my MA program, I ended up with hundreds - or more likely, thousands - of pieces of paper. A lot of our readings were chapters out of books, or other academic articles that we were required to photocopy.

So I have stacks of articles - to do with a whole variety of topics - public texts, fiction, viral contagion, emerging adults, etc. etc.

I am trying to decide how best to organize them. Most citations are by author - so it would make some sense to file them by author - but many also have multiple authors and besides, I am not that good at remembering authors' names ....so likely would never be able to find what I want when I want it.

By subject has potential - but then what does one do with articles that could fit into one or more categories?

I could, I suppose, start my own database to keep track of everything... have been planning to do something along those lines to use to make notes of my readings next year .... I figure that would go a long way when it comes to having to study for my comprehensive exams in the second year... but even though I have the database ability, I am not so confident in my organizational abilities.

And the thought of typing all the info from before into it doesn't really appeal much anyway... hmmm ...sounds like a job for my kid.

Now that I have all of those articles printed though, it doesn't make sense to me to not DO something constructive with them. ...at least organized enough that if I should happen to need one of them again, I can find it and not have to print/photocopy it again.

ANYWAY - if any of you less flitty more organized types has an opinion on a good strategy to use - especially for the offline paper stuff... I would very much appreciate your input.