One-of-a-kind giveaways are the best, not only for the people that created them, but for the public as well.

During the Activities Fair held on Thursday, Sept. 10, the library distributed 100 free tote bags. These bags were the result of collaboration between St. John’s University’s Art Department, Library Signage Committee and two graphic design students, juniors Rebecca Brooker and Idaela Cinquemani, to promote the library.

“There are a million and one things going on in St. Augustine Hall and we want to engage our students in the library’s PR campaign,” Sabina Curley-Rowland, head of the Library Signage Committee, said. “The library is really important to student success.”

The library offers numerous resources, such as library catalogs for books, videos, citation tools, full text eJournals and a growing collection of eBooks. If you want a quiet place to study, the library offers Quiet Study and Group Study rooms. Some students may not have their textbooks for class yet or simply forget it at home; either way, the library has materials from their professors on reserve. These reserves can be either electronic or print, and you can get it all through the University’s website under the library tab or on the third and fourth floors of St. Augustine Hall.

The chair of the art department, Professor Belenna Lauto, reached out to Brooker and Cinquemani to create their own designed logo to print on bags for the library. After turning in their designs, Brooker’s design was picked. Both Brooker and Cinquemani have put a lot of work into the production of this library promotion and are pleased with the results.

“It’s still kind of shocking,” Brooker said on having her logo design for the library tote bags being distributed around campus. “It’s cool to see people walking around with something I made.”

The tote bag is bright red with white lettering and will definitely be recognizable around campus. According to Curley-Rowland, the logo on the bag is “evocative of the logo above St. Augustine Hall, which shows a lantern sitting on a pile of books.”

“The design incorporates the two worlds between print and online books,” Brooker said. “The seal keeps the design very collegiate and reflects the large seal at the front of the library’s building.”

“I sketched various ideas that would integrate the library’s mission while trying to keep it local to the SJU community,” Brooker added.

In addition to designing the logo for the library, Brooker has also designed t-shirts for SJU’s campus ministry and has done work for the art department. She currently works at the Dr. M.T. Geoffry Yeh Art Gallery, located in Sun Yat Sen Hall. Brooker is also the president of SJU’s Art Club.

Brooke said that she is in the process of “building a stronger presence of the Art Club on campus.”

If anyone was not able to receive a library tote at the Activities Fair, they will be sold at their circulation desk for $1. All proceeds will be going to the Friends of the Library fund.

The bag is great for putting in your library books or holding your gym clothes; the options are endless.