diff --git a/scripts/README.md b/scripts/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..33a295aa934b5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,95 @@
+# Miscellaneous scripts for working on mathlib
+
+This directory contains miscellaneous scripts that are useful for working on or with mathlib.
+When adding a new script, please make sure to document it here, so other readers have a chance
+to learn about it as well!
+
+
+## Current scripts and their purpose
+
+**Installation scripts**
+- `install_debian.sh`, `install_macos.sh`
+  Installation scripts referenced from the leanprover community install pages.
+  https://leanprover-community.github.io/install/debian.html
+  https://leanprover-community.github.io/install/macos.html
+  If these web pages are deprecated or removed, we should remove these scripts.
+
+**Tool for manual maintenance**
+- `fix_unused.py`
+  Bulk processing of unused variable warnings, replacing them with `_`.
+
+**Analyzing Mathlib's import structure**
+- `unused_in_pole.sh` (followed by an optional `<target>`, defaulting to `Mathlib`)
+  calls `lake exe pole --loc --to <target>` to compute the longest
+  pole to a given target module, and then feeds this into
+  `lake exe unused` to analyze transitively unused imports.
+  Generates `unused.md` containing a markdown table showing the unused imports,
+  and suggests `lake exe graph` commands to visualize the largest "rectangles" of unused imports.
+
+**CI workflow**
+- `mk_all.lean`
+  run via `lake exe mk_all`, regenerates the import-only files
+  `Mathlib.lean`, `Mathlib/Tactic.lean`, `Archive.lean` and `Counterexamples.lean`
+- `lint-style.lean`, `lint-style.py`, `print-style-errors.sh`
+  style linters, written in Python and Lean. Run via `lake exe lint-style`.
+  Medium-term, the latter two scripts should be rewritten and incorporated in `lint-style.lean`.
+- `lint-bib.sh`
+  normalize the BibTeX file `docs/references.bib` using `bibtool`.
+- `yaml_check.py`, `check-yaml.lean`
+  Sanity checks for `undergrad.yaml`, `overview.yaml`, and `100.yaml`.
+- `lean-pr-testing-comments.sh`
+  Generate comments and labels on a Lean or Batteries PR after CI has finished on a
+  `*-pr-testing-NNNN` branch.
+- `update_nolints_CI.sh`
+  Update the `nolints.json` file to remove unneeded entries. Automatically run once a week.
+- `bench_summary.lean`
+  Convert data retrieved from the speed center into a shorter, more accessible format,
+  and post a comment with this summary on github.
+- `declarations_diff.sh`
+  Attempts to find which declarations have been removed and which have been added in the current PR
+  with respect to `master`, and posts a comment on github with the result.
+- `autolabel.lean` is the Lean script in charge of automatically adding a `t-`label on eligible PRs.
+  Autolabelling is inferred by which directories the current PR modifies.
+
+**Managing nightly-testing and bump branches**
+- `create-adaptation-pr.sh` implements some of the steps in the workflow described at
+  https://leanprover-community.github.io/contribute/tags_and_branches.html#mathlib-nightly-and-bump-branches
+  Specifically, it will:
+  - merge `master` into `bump/v4.x.y`
+  - create a new branch from `bump/v4.x.y`, called `bump/nightly-YYYY-MM-DD`
+  - merge `nightly-testing` into the new branch
+  - open a PR to merge the new branch back into `bump/v4.x.y`
+  - announce the PR on zulip
+  - finally, merge the new branch back into `nightly-testing`, if conflict resolution was required.
+
+  If there are merge conflicts, it pauses and asks for help from the human driver.
+
+**Managing and tracking technical debt**
+- `technical-debt-metrics.sh`
+  Prints information on certain kind of technical debt in Mathlib.
+  This output is automatically posted to zulip once a week.
+- `init_creation.sh`
+  makes sure that every file in Mathlib transitively imports `Mathlib.init`
+  This may be removed soon, and replaced by a different mechanism.
+
+**Mathlib tactics**
+- `polyrith_sage.py`, `polyrith_sage_helper.py` are required for `polyrith`
+  to communication with the Sage server.
+
+**Data files with linter exceptions**
+- `nolints.json` contains exceptions for all `env_linter`s in mathlib.
+  For permanent and deliberate exceptions, add a `@[nolint lintername]` in the .lean file instead.
+- `no_lints_prime_decls.txt`
+  contains temporary exceptions for the `docPrime` linter
+
+Both of these files should tend to zero over time;
+please do not add new entries to these files. PRs removing (the need for) entries are welcome.
+
+**API surrounding CI**
+- `update_PR_comment.sh` is a script that edits an existing message (or creates a new one).
+  It is used by the `PR_summary` workflow to maintain an up-to-date report with a searchable history.
+- `get_tlabel.sh` extracts the `t-`label that a PR has (assuming that there is exactly one).
+  It is used by the `maintainer_merge` family of workflows to dispatch `maintainer merge` requests
+  to the appropriate topic on zulip.
+- `count-trans-deps.py`, `import-graph-report.py` and `import_trans_difference.sh` produce various
+  summaries of changes in transitive imports that the `PR_summary` message incorporates.
diff --git a/scripts/fix_unused.py b/scripts/fix_unused.py
index 9bc5679bfdf57..9475d07bf9a89 100755
--- a/scripts/fix_unused.py
+++ b/scripts/fix_unused.py
@@ -2,6 +2,9 @@
 
 # https://chatgpt.com/share/66f4e420-66bc-8001-8349-ce3cfb4f23c3
 # Usage: lake build | scripts/fix_unused.py
+
+# Bulk processing of unused variable warnings, replacing them with `_`.
+
 import re
 import sys
 
diff --git a/scripts/lint-style.lean b/scripts/lint-style.lean
index a7eb1c953caa1..953800e9826f3 100644
--- a/scripts/lint-style.lean
+++ b/scripts/lint-style.lean
@@ -12,10 +12,34 @@ import Cli.Basic
 
 This files defines the `lint-style` executable which runs all text-based style linters.
 The linters themselves are defined in `Mathlib.Tactic.Linter.TextBased`.
+
+In addition, this checks that every file in `scripts` is documented in its top-level README.
 -/
 
 open Cli Mathlib.Linter.TextBased
 
+open System.FilePath
+
+/-- Verifies that every file in the `scripts` directory is documented in `scripts/README.md`.
+Return `True` if there are undocumented scripts, otherwise `False`. -/
+def allScriptsDocumented : IO Bool := do
+  -- Retrieve all scripts (except for the `bench` directory).
+  let allScripts ← (walkDir "scripts" fun p ↦ pure (p.components.getD 1 "" != "bench"))
+  let allScripts := allScripts.erase ("scripts" / "bench")|>.erase ("scripts" / "README.md")
+  -- Check if the README text contains each file enclosed in backticks.
+  let readme : String ← IO.FS.readFile ("scripts" / "README.md")
+  -- These are data files for linter exceptions: don't complain about these *for now*.
+  let dataFiles := #["noshake.json", "nolints-style.txt"]
+  -- For now, there are no scripts in sub-directories that should be documented.
+  let fileNames := allScripts.map (·.fileName.get!)
+  let undocumented := fileNames.filter fun script ↦
+    !readme.containsSubstr s!"`{script}`" && !dataFiles.contains script
+  if undocumented.size > 0 then
+    IO.println s!"error: found {undocumented.size} undocumented script(s): \
+      please describe the script(s) in 'scripts/README.md'\n  \
+      {String.intercalate "," undocumented.toList}"
+  return undocumented.size == 0
+
 /-- Implementation of the `lint-style` command line program. -/
 def lintStyleCli (args : Cli.Parsed) : IO UInt32 := do
   let style : ErrorFormat := match args.hasFlag "github" with
@@ -26,15 +50,16 @@ def lintStyleCli (args : Cli.Parsed) : IO UInt32 := do
   let mut allModules := #[]
   for s in ["Archive.lean", "Counterexamples.lean", "Mathlib.lean"] do
     allModules := allModules.append ((← IO.FS.lines s).map (·.stripPrefix "import "))
-  -- note: since we manually add "Batteries" to "Mathlib.lean", we remove it here manually
+  -- Note: since we manually add "Batteries" to "Mathlib.lean", we remove it here manually.
   allModules := allModules.erase "Batteries"
-  let numberErrorFiles ← lintModules allModules style fix
+  let mut numberErrors ← lintModules allModules style fix
+  if !(← allScriptsDocumented) then numberErrors := numberErrors + 1
   -- If run with the `--fix` argument, return a zero exit code.
   -- Otherwise, make sure to return an exit code of at most 125,
   -- so this return value can be used further in shell scripts.
   if args.hasFlag "fix" then
     return 0
-  else return min numberErrorFiles 125
+  else return min numberErrors 125
 
 /-- Setting up command line options and help text for `lake exe lint-style`. -/
 -- so far, no help options or so: perhaps that is fine?