Hi Marilyn,
I think incorporating both methods would probably work well. Anyway it takes to collect the information you need. Since I am a newbie trying to teach myself this skill I need more than most. LOL I have sewn for years but quilting is a very different process. I have probably studied, researched, read, watched videos, etc etc as much for this as any college course I ever took. There is a lot to learn. I don't have and don't expect to have the very expensive machines some do, I am pretty much a make it work with what you have person. I don't really do much scanning, even when my scanner is up and running, for quilting. If I see something on the net that appeals to me in form or use of color I keep it for reference. I have 1 file that is nothing but different tips or several opinions on how something is done, like photo printing for instance. With the books I have, if they are not spiral bound where you can open them flat, I am lucky in that they have a machine at work that I can spiral bind those. I stopped buying books though. You never have all the ones you want & they are only for reference, for me. I sometimes have a lot of back "filing" to do to get my files in the folder they belong in or even deciding how I want to sort but the computer is a wonderful tool for finding and keeping information & saving it on physical storage space for sure. As Patrice suggested though, do backups. Betty 8)