Portfolios provide evidence of abilities for employers and can be showcases of program mastery or demonstrate learning through reflection. Google Sites allows creating simple online portfolios with benefits like accessibility from anywhere and customization. Sites include samples of best work, reflective blurbs on courses and objectives, and a user's personality. Pages are organized logically and keep it simple without large files. Security and permissions control who can access the site and pages.

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