Answering my own question here:
All you need to do to statically link a library in VS is:
1) Add the .lib file to the list found in properties -> linker -> input : Additional Dependencies.
2) Add the directory that the .lib file is located at to the properties -> linker -> general : Additional Library Directories.
If the .lib file is a statically linked library, then that is all you have to do.
The main reason I was confused was that a .lib file could also be a companion file alongside a dll, and not a static library itself.
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