Oak Lawn Public Library's panel discussion, Compassion Fatigue in a World of Instant News has been canceled. After unsubstantiated claims were made by an outside organization against one of the panelists, two of the speakers decided to withdraw from the program. Compassion Fatigue is a timely topic, and OLPL regrets that this discussion will not occur. The participants and the content align with the Library's mission to engage and strengthen the community through diverse programs.

Do you feel apathy in the midst of a constant barrage of disturbing news? Is hyper-exposure to news about genocide, school shootings, displaced refugees and natural disasters making you numb? This may be the newest version of compassion fatigue.

Guest panelists include Rev. Michael Pfleger from St. Sabina Church in Chicago; Angalia Bianca, ex-Chicago gang member and former heroin addict, from CURE Violence at University of Illinois at Chicago; Amy Merrick, professor of communication & technology, at DePaul University and former reporter; and Celena Roldan, regional CEO for the Chicago & Northern Illinois Region of the American Red Cross. They will discuss why we are feeling fatigued, what happens when we are faced with difficult news so often and what it is doing to us as a society. They also will offer some ideas on what we can do to react, respond and make a difference.