[LCP]Dynamic libraries and plugins

[Marcin Jendrzejewski]

Hi,
I'm curious how shared/dynamic (question on terminology: shared =
dynamic, in this context?), libraries work within a program.  If I use a
function from a library that's not compiled INTO my program, how does my
program  use of it?  After all, if this is the case, then it would have
to lookup a specific library from disk.  So is there some background
kernel process that loads it invisbly?  I guess related to this
question, is how do plugins/modules get inserted at runtime?  I'm
thinking here more of the linux kernel or even just xmms that can insert
code while the program is running.  How does a program make use of code
that is seperate from itself?

--Marcin