Abstract: A method, computer program product and system for managing font resources using system independent references. A resource library may store a table, referred to herein as the “resource access table” that contains an entry for each base font resource. Each entry may include the following information on a base font resource: a native name, a file name, a unique identification, attributes, and possibly a link list used to identify any font resources that are linked to the base font resource. Since changes to the resource file such as updating a version of a font resource, changing the attributes of the font resource or changing the font resource's linked fonts, simply require an update to the resource access table, the data stream and the application program generating that data stream does not have to be changed.