This presentation was developed for

1. Creating Simple
Online Portfolios
Using Google Sites
Samantha J. Quell

2. Portfolio Background
• “Portfolios are used to plan, organize and document education, work
samples and skills” – Wikipedia
• “Librarians need portfolios because our target audience is the same
as artists and journalists: the public.” – Katie Dunneback*
• Portfolios provide concrete evidence of your abilities for future
employers.
• Two types of portfolios :
• Showcase: Stand alone evidence of program mastery.
• Assessment: Demonstrates learning process through self-assessment
(reflective essays).
*Dunneback, K. (2004). Punch Up Your Portfolio. Retrieved from: http://www.liscareer.com/dunneback_portfolios.htm

3. Online Portfolios
• Benefits:
• Demonstrates multiple literacies – electronic, print, audio visual.
• Accessible from anywhere:
• Include URL in your resume/CV for potential employers.
• Ability to print any documents as needed.
• Ability to customize hard copies for individual positions while
maintaining an organized, electronic copy.
• Problems:
• Opening your work up to the free web (There are security
measures you can take).
• Individual site issues.

4. What to Include
• Samples of your best work from the program
(projects, papers, etc.) and anything significant from
work/practicum experience (video tutorials, photographs of
displays, etc.).
• Reflective blurbs*
• Course title and number
• Course/Project objectives
• Reflection – can be positive/negative – the point is you LEARNED
• Your Personality! Don’t be afraid to be yourself, because that’s
what employers really want to see.
*Based on assessment criteria from LIS 565 (Battleson/White)

5. Creating a Google Site
• www.sites.google.com
• Login - Must be a personal Google account – your UB account
doesn’t provide access.
• Choose a blank site/theme or a site template.
• Themes provide better colors and you can customize certain
elements. For example, the banner, navigation menu and sidebar.
• Choose your URL wisely, because it’s permanent.
• Basic web etiquette is provided for you, including consistent
navigation, banner, and sidebar (optional). Users can also
return to homepage by clicking the banner.
• “Home” is lost with external links. This is problematic for some
sites, but there is an option to open links in a new window.

6. Creating Pages
• Make yourself known
• Include an “About You” or a “Welcome” page.
• Make sure your name is visible at all times.
• Include a photo of yourself.
• Organize your pages logically
• Page templates – Webpage is the standard.
• Include parent and nesting pages.
• Remember, you’re a librarian and this is basic classification!
• Keep it simple.
• Don’t bog down your site with large image or video files, or use
decorative fonts that might be difficult to read.

7. Some Things to Note
• Attaching Documents
• Accepts various file formats (Word, PDF, etc.).
• Saves previous uploads.
• Security
• Four options: Private, Accessible to designated users, Accessible
to anyone with the URL and Accessible to the free web.
• Page level permissions.
• Import Directly from Google Docs
• It is possible to add documents, calendars, presentations, etc.
directly into the body of a page, however, those documents have
to first be made public in your Google Docs account.
• Linked Google Doc files do update automatically.

8. My Portfolio
www.sites.google.com/site/samquellportfolio