# Blender 3D: Noob to Pro/Using Blender Libraries

You can append libraries in two ways. You can make a local copy of
**data blocks** (like objects, meshes, \...) of the content of a .blend
file in your .blend file (**appending**) or you can use data blocks from
another .blend file (**dynamic linking**).

You can **Append** with the command in the 3d view File -\> Append or
**SHIFT+F1**. When you give this command a file browser window opens.
There are two buttons **Append** and **Link** at the bottom of the
window. The default action is *appending*. But you can use *dynamic
linking* selecting the link button.

At this point select the .blend file to append. You can select one of
the following data blocks type to append:

-   **Group**
-   **Mesh**
-   **Object**
-   **Scene**
-   **Text**
-   **World**
-   (not complete yet)

Note that this is a complete list, when you append only block types
present in the file will appear. Select the desired type. Now you can
select the particular data block to append by selecting its id.

## Indirect linking

When you give an append or link command almost all relations between
**data blocks** in Blender get expanded. For example, when you link (or
append) a specific Group, all its objects, the meshes associated with
the objects, the materials and the animations will be linked (or
appended) too. That is called \"indirect linking\". When you use
*dynamic linking* such indirect linked data is not stored when you save
a .blend file, when you load the file again blender will look for the
indirect linked data blocks in the library file.

## Groups

When you *append* a Group, blender will also create links in the current
*Scene* to the objects that are part of the group. The Objects then
become visible. However, when you decide to *dynamic link* a Group, it
won\'t do that. To use the objects in your blender project you can use
the group as a **duplicator** \"**SHIFT+AKEY** -\> Group menu -\> group
id to duplicate\".

## See also

-   <http://www.blender.org/cms/Library_Linking.769.0.html>
-   <http://www.blender.org/cms/Blender_Architecture.336.0.html>

