In-Process dll’s

I’m developing an Access 97 application.

Scenario: I create app A which references a dll. Then I create app B which references the same dll. Then I create app C which references both A and B, but not the dll directly.

My question: Is the memory space for app C using multiple instances of the same dll and therefore wasting resources? Am I better off with an out-of-process exe instead of an in-process dll?

The reason this becomes important to me is that my real final app (like app C in my example) is going to reference close to 20 individual apps, all of which will be using the same dll.

Thanks.