Unionized librarians at libraries across Essex County fear they could be off the job as early as next month if their union can't get a collective agreement.
CUPE Local 2974.1 has 58 members at 14 branches across the county.
Spokeswoman Lori Wightman says management has requested a conciliator, which came as a shock after just three half-days of bargaining.
"We were quite surprised that they asked for conciliation," she says. "We felt there were still issues that we could have worked on."
The two sides meet with a conciliator June 2.
If either side calls for a "no board report," it could trigger a 17-day countdown where either the employer locks out the librarians or the union calls a strike.
"That's definitely not what we want," says Wightman adding summer is a busy time for libraries. "We have summer reading clubs for the kids and people are out and about a little bit more."
The librarians are holding an information picket outside the Essex Library on Gosfield Townline W in Essex at 6pm tonight ahead of the Essex Library Board meeting. The labour dispute is not on the agenda.
The librarians last contract expired at the end of March.