Keeping Track of Stuff

I've been following the slow-moving SCO v. IBM suit for some time now. One of the really incredible things is how many records are kept in the world. I read this stuff and think, "Who thinks to keep track of this stuff?" Okay, I've been known to keep stuff (no longer is there a film can of clippings in my desk drawer though), but where do people keep this stuff and how do they keep it for so long?