if you’re using InDesign and you’re NOT using at least one library, you’re probably a loony. a library stores all your most commonly used stuff : logos, images, graphics, even text. you could think of a library as a type of permanent clipboard. a clipboard will only hold the last thing you copied, a library will hold as much stuff as you want.

a library is dead easy to set up and even easier to use. it looks like a panel, but it’s actually a file :
• go to File > New > Library …
• choose a name and a place to save it
• then just drag stuff into it from your InDesign page

you’ll notice that when you drag an image in, it will be named automatically. everything else comes in as ‘untitled’. name your other bits by double-clicking on them to access the item info panel :

library objects also retain their styling so it’s also a great way to store swatches, styles (paragraph, character and object) and effects such as dropshadows and whatnot.

now whenever you need something just drag it out onto your page. if you have ‘paste remembers layers’ turned on in your layers palette, the object will even be pasted on the correct layer (ie. the layer it was on before it was added to the library).

but wait, there’s more…
if you drag a bunch of stuff into the library in one hit it will be grouped into one library item :

but if you want to add a heap of objects as separate items just add them all to a single page and then choose this from the panel’s dropdown menu :

there’s no limit to the number of different libraries you can have — go sick. although you may find that anything more than about 25 may become a little difficult to manage.