File Attachments as separate content types?

I think this can be done, but I'm not envisioning it 100%. I want to create a custom "file attachment" content type which is just a basic file attachment (pdf, ppt, zip, or doc, to be more specific), and then display a custom-set list of these attachments anywhere on the site. My understanding is that by default, attachments are filed with the content to which they were initially attached, but for this project I need to be able to edit the attachments content separately from any other content - in other words, I need attachments uploaded and managed as stand-alone elements.

I'm assuming I'd use CCK + Views to display this, and I'm certain I can figure out the Views end of things, but I've hit a speedbump on how to enable it within CCK. Any suggestions? Am I missing something, or looking in the wrong place?

Thanks!