Dawson County WEE Books action team members gathered at War Hill Park late last week to celebrate the installation of a small library on the property, which they erected in partnership with the county.

The Dawson County Board of Commissioners in March approved a request to allow for a partnership between the county and four organizations whereby "little lending libraries" will be placed on county land.

The libraries are tiny houses that are stocked with free books for anyone to take or borrow and provide a place for community members to donate gently used books for others to enjoy. The idea is to "take one now, leave one later."

Four groups- Family Connection, Kiwanis Club, WEE Books and Rotary Club- have agreed to have the libraries built, as well as maintain and stock them with books.

The libraries will be placed in locations around the county where foot traffic is common: the Dawson County Public Health Office, Veteran's Memorial Park, War Hill Park and Rock Creek Park.

The Dawson County Chamber of Commerce will also have a lending library at its office.

The library couldn’t be a better fitting project for WEE books.

In an effort to bolster childhood literacy, WEE Books works to put age appropriate books in the hands of children.

The group, in partnership with the Ferst Foundation for Childhood Literacy, mails one free book every month to each enrolled Dawson County child, who are eligible from birth until they reach kindergarten.

There are currently more than 850 children signed up to receive the books.

“This totally fits our mission statement, which is primarily to get books to children,” said WEE Books President Sue Poynter about the little lending library. “The books for children that we put in here do not need to be returned.”

Poynter also said that the other mission of the group is to reach out to the community for literacy. 

“We have adult books here too and we’re asking them to either exchange or return,” she said.

Poynter said that the WEE books library was built and paid for by Peter Collins as a donation to the group, and Dru Stowers painted scenes on the sides depicting a figure sitting on a dock and families playing on a lake beach.

Andrea and Mike McKenzie, along with Mike Poynter, installed the library at the park. It is located on the roundabout in front of the washrooms.