When the graphical StarOffice installer starts, it will check that directory for extracted libraries. I don't have to reconfigure my entire FreeBSD system to use this one-short program. Lastly, there's the question of what libraries a program expects to have available. Or, you can use this as a shopping list. While it's not a good idea to add shared libraries willy-nilly, this will at least let you know what's missing.
Shared libraries are a terribly complex beast.
With ldd, ldconfig, and a little bit of understanding, you can start to tame them. Talkbacks Please share your comments.