Snowy Scenes

By Julie Duffin
March 2022 View more Naperscene

The Indian Prairie Public Library, which serves patrons from Darien, Willowbrook, and Burr Ridge, sponsored its first winter photo contest in January. The library (ippl.info) encouraged winter-themed photo submissions—up to five photos of anything that depicted winter—from amateur photographers in sixth grade and older. 

Programming and outreach librarian Jen Ripka came up with the contest idea as part of her programming initiatives. “I wanted to host a collaborative and creative activity that would encourage people to do something out of their normal routine,” she explains. “We’re really proud of the amount and range of submissions we received.” 

The library received 70 photos from 24 photographers, which were posted online for the community to vote on. When the votes were tabulated, the photos were printed and displayed in the library’s second-floor gallery throughout February.

Owen Atkinson won the teen category with his photo First Snow, and Gloria Clancy won the adult category with her photo Bison in the Road. In addition to being featured in the gallery, the two winners received gift cards to Anderson’s Bookshop.