Dawn was already in the library when Willow wandered in. She had pulled anything she could think that may have anything remotely helpful out of the library's reserves. In addition she had several pads of blank paper to write notes and ideas and a few notebooks filled with her translation notes. She had some of the ancient crazy languages down but she was no Giles. Not yet at least.
She was slightly nervous about Buffy finding out. Somehow Dawn didn't think, hey I'm going traipsing through alternate dimensions looking for an orb, would go over well. Seeing Willow walk in the younger Summers lifted a hand in greeting.