Adding a USB Storage Document Library¶
💡MarginNote 4 lets you add external source directories directly (such as online-course videos or reference PDFs on a USB flash drive or external hard drive). Add them to a study set without importing, take notes and make cards in the corresponding notebook, and study efficiently while preserving the original file structure.
💡The advantages of using a
USB Storage Document Libraryare:
- No need to import each file individually; you can add an entire folder at once, saving time.
- You can take notes and make cards directly on files such as PDFs, without copying or storing duplicate PDF files.
- It preserves the original organizational structure of your materials, making them easy to manage and find.
1 Adding a USB Storage Document Library (for Mac & iPad)¶
A USB Storage Document Library can be either a large local folder or a folder on an external storage device such as a USB flash drive or external hard drive. Both are added in the same way and follow the same logic; here we use a USB flash drive as the example.
- Insert the USB device you want to add (USB flash drive, external hard drive, etc.)
- Tap the three dots to the right of the folder, then
Add External Folder - Select the folder you want to add and tap **
Open** to finish - A document with this icon is an
external file
External file
2 Removing a USB Storage Document Library¶
Disconnect
Tap the three dots to the right of the USB Storage Document Library, then Disconnect to remove the USB Storage Document Library.
ScreenRecording_10-23-2025 08-53-08_1.MP4
3 Notes¶
💡1. USB storage library files are disconnected after you remove the external storage device. When you reinsert the removable storage device, the disconnected files are relinked automatically.
💡2. The same folder cannot be added more than once.
💡3. You can rename files within MarginNote 4.
Note: This action will also modify the source document's filename.



