Manual/Using Linked Libraries
From BlenderWiki
Blender is able to "reach in" to other files and pull in whatever you want. In this way, Blender supports re-use of your graphical models.
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General Procedure
Mode: All Modes
Hotkey: Shift F1
Menu: File → Append or Link
The main menu in Blender is located in the User Preferences window (by default the header located at the top of your screen. From that menu, all you have to do is use File -> Append or Link or press Shift F1 in your active window. The active window will change to a File Browser (the icon looks like a manilla folder) selector window. Use this window to navigate your hard drive and network-mapped drives through folders and subfolders to find the .blend file that has the object you want to re-use. When you click on a .blend file (indicated by the square box next to the name), Blender will go into that file and show you the list of object types within it: Scenes, Objects, Materials, Textures, Meshes, etc. Clicking on any object type will display the specific instances of that type.
The following procedure appends an object with all its linked data such as mesh-data, materials, texture etc.. to the current blend file.
- Select File -> Append or Link
- Locate and select the file that contains the object you want to append (often a 'library' file).
- Navigate to the OBJECT section of the file
- Select one or more objects
- LMB
on Load Library or press Enter or MMB 
directly on the data to append
Of course, you can append or link many other things besides objects: cameras, curves, groups, lamps, materials, meshes, an entire scene, etc.
Use Append (button enabled by default) if you want to make a local independent copy of the object inside your file. Select Link if you want a dynamic link made to the source file; if anyone changes the object in the source file, your current file will be updated the next time you open it. These buttons are located in the File Browser window header.
Click Load Library to append or link the object into your current blend file. Some more loading option buttons (in the File Browser header) include:
- AutoSel: When an object is loaded, it is not active or selected; it just plops into your blend file. Often, right after loading, you will want to do something with it, like scale it or move it. Enable this button and the imported object will be selected, just as if you magically right-clicked on it. This button saves the step of finding the object and selecting it.
- Active Layer: Blender has 20 layers to divide up a large scene, and objects reside on a layer. By default, an object is loaded into your file directly into the layer is resides on in the source file. To load the object to your current active layer that you are working on, enable this button.
- At Cursor: By default, an object is loaded into your file in the location it was/is in the source file. To reposition the object to your cursor when it loads, enable this button.
 | Finding What was Loaded: |
| If the object in the source file is way out there in left field, consider using At Cursor or AutoSel. If you use AutoSel, remember there are Snap tools to put your cursor on the object, and Center your view on it. Note that these tools do not work if the object is on an unselected layer, since objects on unselected Layers are invisible. |
Reusing Objects (Meshes, Curves, Cameras, Lights, etc)
Let's suppose you created a wheel in one .blend file and want to re-use it for your current project. The physical model of the wheel would be a mesh, and probably comprised of a tire and rim. Hopefully you named this mesh something reasonable, like, oh, I don't know, "Wheel". The wheel may be colored and thus have some Materials assigned to it (like rubber and chrome).
Once you navigate to the file, select the "Wheel" and it will be imported into your current file. You can import a copy of it, or merely link to it.
| Linking: If you link to it, and later modify it in the source file, it will be shown "as-is" (modified) in your current file the next time you open it up. |
Other artists have released their models to the public domain, and friends may share models simply by posting or emailing their .blend files to each other. Keeping these files,as well as your past projects, in a Download directory on your PC/server will save you from ever having to reinvent the wheel.
When selected, linked objects are outlined in Cyan. Normal selected objects are outlined in pink.
Reusing Material/Texture Settings
Some materials, like Glass or Chrome, can be very tricky to get "just right". The Blender Foundation has released, for example, a Materials CD, which is available for free for downloading from their site. Using the blend files on that CD, you can import common materials, like glass, chrome, wood and bananas. This feature saves you sooooo much time fiddling with all the little buttons and sliders just to re-create a material. I call out the Banana material because it is a great example of using simple procedural materials with a ColorRamp, and a procedural texture to give a very realistic look.
| Blender Extension: Library: There is also a fantasic python script that overarches all of your files and allows you to construct a master library. This script displays a preview and helps you organize you Blender work. Highly recommended; search http://www.BlenderNation.com for "Library". |
Reusing Node Layouts
To re-use noodles (node layouts), open the original (source) file
and create a Group for the set of nodes that you think you want to
re-use. When you want to import that node group into your current file,
Select File->Append from the User Preferences window header,
navigate to the file. When you dive into the file, there will be a NodeTree option. Click it and the list of node groups in that file will be listed. LMB 
Click the one you want and then Load Library.
| [Verse] : is an amazing OpenSource collaboration tool that integrates with Blender. Verse enables multiple people to work on, link, and share objects and modifications in Blender files in real time. |
Proxy Objects
A proxy is a legal stand-in or substitute for the real thing. In Blender, when you make a linked copy (described above), you cannot edit the object; all you have is a link to it. You cannot add to it or change it, because its source is in another file that is not open.
When working in a team environment, you may want more flexibility. For example, if modeling a car, you may have one person working on the shape of the car (its Mesh), but another working on available color schemes (its Materials). In this case, you want to grant the Painter a Proxy of the object and allow him/her to modify the material settings. More commonly, you will have a character being animated by a team of animators; they can define poses, but cannot change its colors or armature, only use what is defined by the master rigger.
The important aspect of a Proxy Object is that it allows you to edit data locally, but also allows to keep specific data protected. Data that's defined as protected will always be restored from the Library (typically on file reading or undo/redo steps). This protection is defined in the referenced Library itself, which means that only the Library files can define what's allowed to change locally.
For Poses, you can control this by indicating Bone layers to become protected. Protected layers then show with a black dot in it. Use CTRL+click on a button to protect or unprotect that layer.
Mode: Object Mode
Hotkey: Ctrl Alt P
To make a Proxy object for yourself, establish a Link to the source object as described above. With that linked copy selected ( RMB 
and in view (you can see it in the 3D View), press Ctrl Alt P
and confirm the Make Proxy dialog. The object will be named with the
original name plus a "_proxy" suffix. You may now move and modify the
proxy. When selected, it will look like a local object (outlined in
pink).
You can then edit unprotected data. For most objects, this includes its location and rotation. You can also animate the object's location and animation using Ipo Curves. For mesh objects, the shape of the mesh is protected, so you cannot define shape keys. When you reload your file, Blender will refresh your file with any changes made to the original protected data, but will not reset your changes (unless the owner has).
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